DRM in printer supplies is hardly new. The first HP printer with DRM that comes to mind is the LaserJet 4100. RFID tags and whatnot, they backed off and went with cheaper solutions with the 4200 series. I think Lexmark pioneered selling the printers themselves as loss leaders.
I think perhaps what's getting lost here is that in the consumer space printers are being sold on a razor and blade model. The printers themselves are loss leaders. Your $100 laser printer definitely costs more than the sale price to manufacture. Eons ago Kodak tried to buck the trend with cheap consumables and a printer more or less sold at cost. Kodak bailed after a whole five years. Consumers care more about up front costs than they do about the cost of consumables – as it turns out most people are terrible about long term strategizing.
Kodak had some serious reliability issues with the print heads in those printers. I think that was more the reason that it failed rather than consumers not liking the up front price on its own. No one likes buying what’s supposed to be the premium model just to have massive print head failures render your printer useless.
Maybe, IDK. Inkjets have never held much appeal for me. That said Lexmark lasted way longer in the consumer space and their inkjet printers were widely regarded as crap.
People who need to print something now and reason with themselves that it's cheaper to buy a basic £29 HP printer because obviously they might need to print something again in the future(at which point the ink has long dried and new replacement is £39 for a cartridge).
I'm convinced that laser printers are the answer. Colour ones are now more or less affordable and last for many years and of course they have no issue with ink drying out.
Yes but it's harder to justify even a basic laser printer at around £99 when all you need to do is print some forms. A £29 printer which might be useful in the future is more appealing psychologically(somehow).
There are print on demand options down to single page single copy documents cheap enough I probably won't replace my printer next time as my printing need is now so infrequent. Only issue I've seen is that few of them seem to offer immediate courier service. Many will offer same day, though, and I'm sure most others could arrange a courier if you go through the hassle of calling.
We, as dissminators should tell every consumer not to buy their crap. "It's a trap!"