The Cost of Printer Ink

I remember when printer ribbon was 1/10th the price of the printer, and the decision to purchase more ribbon was simple. Today, I face printer ink prices that are 15/16th the price of new model printers that include printer ink. Purchasing a whole new printer is an obvious option to purchasing and replacing printer ink, however, a deeper cost analysis will uncover more costs of purchasing a new printer. These costs include time in reconfiguring computer systems that rely on the old printer. Measurements on the print quality and time efficiency of new model printers, amount of ink consumption, and replacement ink catridge prices should be part of any returns of investment analysis.

I recently bought printer ink, and I was surprised to find that prices have increased to the point where I considered buying a new printer simply for the ink that is included. After thirty minutes of cost and ROI analysis at a traditional computer parts store, I decided that purchasing a new laser printer through an online vendor would be a good decision, but I purchased the printer ink anyway to meet schedule constraints. Perhaps, the printer companies are becoming more responsible and are pushing consumers like me, who continue to use older printers, to purchase new efficient models. I am certain that other people have also made the consideration, and the printer companies are certainly aware of this. I expect printer ink not to be included with new printers in the near future.

One Response to “The Cost of Printer Ink”

  1. x2fer Says:

    You’re close… they give you “Starter Ink.” A reduced version of regular ink cartridges. LASER all the way, baby!

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