- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.zip
- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.zip
You must log in or # to comment.
greed
I have a black-and-white Brother laser printer. My toner isn’t expensive.
I also get generic copy paper. My paper isn’t expensive either.
My printer also doesn’t clog up if I don’t print with it for six months or whatever the way inkjets do.
Yup. If I need color, I print at tree library for <$0.10/sheet. If I need pictures, I order them.
But 99% of my printing is black and white. I’ve printed thousands of sheets, and I only recently replaced the starter toner, and I’ll probably throw out the printer to save space before I run out of toner again.
Oh, and I spent practically nothing on it. I think I paid $150 or so for the printer, another $50 or so on toner (maybe a little more), and maybe $50 on paper? I think I printed 3k pages (too lazy to check), and I should get 5000+ more without doing anything (maybe I’ll buy another case of paper?). As it stands, I’m already under the library print costs… Oh, and my printer scans and copies too, which was totally essential during COVID for my kids’ school.
Why are inkjets so popular? If you’re going to print with and frequency, get a laser printer.
Only peoblem is if your environment is too humid for long periods of time, no?
Shoutout to Brother laser printers and their provided linux drivers! CUPS is then what you can use to print to that basic USB printer from all of your networked devices.
Linux and Brother, get those MapQuest directions printed out like a boss
I didn’t read the article but the straight reason is this: Printer companies adopted the “blades and razor” business model. The model was invented by Gillette, and if any of you here shave, you already know how it works.
- Sell a new razorblade “system” for a loss price. Design it with a unique attachment system, locking purchaser into buying blades only supplied by that business.
- Sell two pack blade replacement at about double the price of the original razorblade. 3 Stagger the prices of 3 pack, 4 pack and 5 pack, so they appear to add value, when actually the 5 pack cost of manufacture is still lower than the whole new razorblade “system” that was sold at a loss. But the 5 pack is marketed as “one free blade” based back on the two pack pricing.
Printer Companies did the same thing, sell a cheap inkjet at a loss (last Epson I bought was $49, a miniscule amount of ink and it had a scanner built in!!)
Now I offer you a challenge! (not really, you’ll already know the answer if you have an inkjet and had to buy original refills).
A Brother MFC-L3760CDW is a colour laser printer/scanner/photo copier/fax/full duplex. It comes with (3 colours and black) enough toner for 3000 colour pages at purchase for a retail price $499.00
How much do you think it would cost you to get a inkjet printer, and enough ink to print 3000 colour pages? Also consider having a full duplex printer/photo copier/scanner/fax at your disposal.
So are you saying laser printers are the safety razors of the printing world?
There are some inkjet options that do not follow that pricing model. The printers with an ink tank (epson ecotank, canon megatank, …) with ink for 3000 pages start at about $150, but are probably slower than the laser.
I’ve not seen them, but I would imagine they are for office use, rather than home use. You would run into the same problem low volume inkjet users always run into, the ink dries out or clogs up the jets.
Toner has no such problem, and you can print 3000 pages regardless of if it takes 3 months or 3 years.
With their slow print speed, those cheaper tank inkjets are maybe usable for mostly paperless offices, or a home user that likes to print more often. You’d have to print at least one or two color pages per month to keep the jets clean.
Because they can make people pay it. Next question.
I feel printer company CEO’s should avoid Manhattan…
Nah, while all consumer oriented ink jet printer business models are scummy, they haven’t caused death, misery, and financial ruin. Put the CEOs on your list if you must, but I think we have bigger fish to fry.
I see you haven’t had to use printers a lot. Printer design has reached a point where you’re just wondering if Satan uses them as tools to torment people on earth.
Having said that, yeah, you’re right. There are way bigger fish to fry
Because fuck you, that’s why!
Consumables drop in cost per page the more you pay for the printer. Business printer consumables are cheaper per page.
Lasers are often overkill for many home owners who print a few dozen pages per year. Also, Lasers are inferior for printing photos. Even a cheap inkjets if printing on photo paper are way superior for photos. That said, pay services are the better option for most.
I print quite a bit, so I own a BW Brother for volume, and an Epson for photos and other stuff. I realize I-m not a n average user, though.
I generally use compatible cartridges. I can buy toner for my Brother for something like 15 25 Euro from amazon, and carts for Epson for 25 Euro for an 8 pack. They work fine. BTW, I bought the brother laser, new, in the box, from a second hand marketplace for 60 Euro. Basic printer, not a MFP, no scanner, b duplex but not wifi, which is probably why they sold it, probably a mistake buy and outside the return window.
