Ask HN: Why is it cheaper to buy a new laser printer than replace the cartridge?

#1

Post by 3stripe » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 11:19 PM UTC

No post body was provided.

Re: Ask HN: Why is it cheaper to buy a new laser printer than replace the cartridge?

#2

Post by 3stripe » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 11:19 PM UTC

And shouldn't it be illegal to price products like this?

Re: Ask HN: Why is it cheaper to buy a new laser printer than replace the cartridge?

#3

Post by spoonie » Fri, Oct 21, 2016, 12:12 AM UTC

Maybe because the printer is sold as a loss-leader, assuming you will buy a certain number of ink cartridges. Furthermore they can make the printers very cheaply because:

1) the fancy printing logic is mostly in the printing driver you install on your computer

2) the fancy ink transfer hardware is all in the cartridge

Re: Ask HN: Why is it cheaper to buy a new laser printer than replace the cartridge?

#4

Post by tedyoung » Fri, Oct 21, 2016, 12:44 AM UTC

For laser printers (and ink jets as well), the cartridge you get with the new printer often has a much lower print capacity than a new (separately purchased) cartridge. For example, the printer will come with a cartridge that can print 500 pages, whereas a new one would print 2,000.

But otherwise, yes, the printer itself is a loss-leader, just like the razor industry.

Re: Ask HN: Why is it cheaper to buy a new laser printer than replace the cartridge?

#5

Post by tedyoung » Fri, Oct 21, 2016, 12:45 AM UTC

3stripe wrote: post #2

And shouldn't it be illegal to price products like this?

Why? It's not misleading advertising, so what would be the basis for it being illegal?

Re: Ask HN: Why is it cheaper to buy a new laser printer than replace the cartridge?

#6

Post by nopassrecover » Fri, Oct 21, 2016, 1:19 AM UTC

tedyoung wrote: post #5

3stripe wrote: post #2

And shouldn't it be illegal to price products like this?

Why? It's not misleading advertising, so what would be the basis for it being illegal?

Sustainability concerns?

Re: Ask HN: Why is it cheaper to buy a new laser printer than replace the cartridge?

#7

Post by mattnumbe » Fri, Oct 21, 2016, 1:23 AM UTC

nopassrecover wrote: post #6

tedyoung wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? It's not misleading advertising, so what would be the basis for it being illegal?

Sustainability concerns?

It's too bad sustainability has nothing to do with legality.

Re: Ask HN: Why is it cheaper to buy a new laser printer than replace the cartridge?

#8

Post by nopassrecover » Fri, Oct 21, 2016, 1:27 AM UTC

mattnumbe wrote: post #7

nopassrecover wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sustainability concerns?

It's too bad sustainability has nothing to do with legality.

The original comment suggested that this should be illegal, and the reply, as I interpreted it, asked on what grounds. I can see on reflection we're discussing different issues (i.e. I've taken the comment trail as a normative discussion, rather than a technical one).

Sustainability concerns seem like a valid ethical reason to create laws and attempt to minimise things like this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12742974