Ink Tank Printers Just Another Scam ?

[Judge]

Many Asian people swear by Epson printers, not because they're great printers but because they're easy to set up with the big ink bottles.

The ink, installation and its cost isn't so problematic as is the question of why Epson's ink tank printers inherently waste so much ink. And why they have chosen to have a massive sponge-like component soak it all up until it's saturated to a point where the printer no longer works. And replacing this "component" ultimately costs something almost assuredly overpriced.

A problem exacerbated by those who think they are getting a deal, using the printer with far more frequency which actually accelerates its end-of-use cycle. Forcing us to ponder:

A. Is the device so poorly engineered that they have no method of conserving ink rather than waste it?

or

B. It was deliberately designed as such to lure in buyers who otherwise avoid traditional inkjet printers with all the absurdly expensive ink they use?

Personally I find either explanation unacceptable. That their tank printers may turn out to be just an alternative "bait n switch" tactic apart from their lucrative sale of cartridge ink printers.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Epson also has the scam of refusing to print in black and white if a color cartrige is empty. For printing photos I have an old workhorse dye sublimation printer. When that goes I'll use commercial services.

 

[MyLifeAsAnAspie]

I have an Epson ET-3760 Ecotank printer and have been very satisfied with it. However, I did find that when I recently tried photo printing after only doing mostly black printing, I had to run the cleaning ink-dump four times to get good print quality. The sponge is in a cartridge in mine and is replaceable for $15. My printer is over 2 years old. The maintenance screen gives the life left of the cartridge and is showing 75% left. The printer came with a lot of ink and and I still have a lot left.

 

[Judge]

I'm wondering if the latest incarnation of HP tank printers uses those ink absorbers like Epson does. The one interesting thing so far with these printers seems to be that reviews are more favorable than with past HP printers. One thing for sure, my HP existing Envy 5530 inkjet printer is easily the most "temperamental" electro-mechanical device I have. Not for the squeamish. But it does render satisfactory color and b/w photos. Though paying around $70 for both ink cartridges (XL tricolor+ regular black) is still highway robbery.

 

[MildredHubble]

Capitalism. The expectation of infinite growth in a finite world. You can't double your profit every year without rigging the game. Printers are just one of the more obvious examples of how insane human beings are.