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Tue 30 Mar, 2004 06:23 am
As you most probably know, the computer printer manufacturers make a lot of profit from the sale of ink. If you have a certain model, you are obliged to use a certain type of cartridge made for your machine. Oh yeah, you can buy a refilled cartridge, but there may be serious problems with going that route.
When I had my old computer, I used an HP printer. I knew when I ran out of ink, when I couldn't read what was printed! 
My new printer, a Canon, gives you a message that you are running out of ink.
Well, a few months ago, I had read an article that talked about how much of expensive ink is wasted. Why? You are informed that you are running out of ink. You change the cartridge. The article stated that they found that when the message of "low ink" was sent to the consumer, there was still a lot of ink left.
About three weeks ago, I got the message that the ink was running low. I figured that I would just keep running the printer until I could not read what was printed. Well, the printer is still chugging along, and the printing is perfectly legible.
I wonder how much more profit is generated for the manufacturers, when people throw out ink cartridges that still have plenty of life in them?
Quite a bit.
Back at my last job, we'd run the printer with 'Low Toner' for thousands of pages before refilling it. Well, hundreds at least. But I'm not surprised that this happens.
i have an P 3500 in the RV. I think I paid 40 bucks for it. I buy the black ink cartridges almost every 2 weeks because I do a lot of work on the road. The cartridges cost about 40 bucks every time Itd actually be cheaper for me to get a new printer each time and toss it when the ink is gone.
My secretary found these monks that are part of some high tech order that, instead of selling breads or jellies, these guys sell refilled cartridges. Were going to send in an order for one set to see how they hold up. These "sanctified" cartridges are about half thhe regular price from one of the big office supply houses.
I always ignore the out of ink prompt. I will keep printing until the print starts getting light, then , and only then will I change cartridges.
I've bought from a refilled cartridge place before. I don't remember the name, but it worked out quite well.
phoenix - i've always ignored that message. I print until i cna't read.
I also try to conserve my ink by printed with "quick' (lighter than 'normal' and using a whole lot less ink) when I'm printing something that only I'm seing....
I get much mileage, so to speak, out of those lexmark cartridges that I bet they'd ever though lol.
Onyxelle- I use the "draft" printing version too. The only time when I would use "regular" is if I were printing something really important that had to go out to someone. If I am printing a picture that I want to save, I will use "best" or whatever they call it. I would say that 95% of my printing is "draft"!
Oh, another advantage of using "draft" is that it prints much faster.
I have looked into "generic" cartridges, which ARE cheaper than the name brands. I think that I am "chicken" to play around with them. Needless to say, I would be leery of refilled cartridges. I have a printer, scanner, copier combo, and would not want to replace it if the ink ruined the machine! I don't do a huge amount of printing, so I supppose that I just have to live with the high prices of the brand names..
I hate when i have to run out and buy ink on the fly....albertsons is theonly grocer that sells 'em near me and they're 42.99/cartridge. dang!
Onyxelle- Whenever I change a cartridge, I buy a replacement. In that way, I never have to run out at what may be an inconvenient time!
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