Epson go OEM on CIS..

[websnail]

One of my contacts nudged me about this little nugget...

It seems Epson have decided to try their hand at CIS enabled systems themselves:
http://www.epson.co.id/epson_indone...s/inkjet/product.page?product_name=Epson_L100

 

[stratman]

Good move for Epson.

There is also a multifuncional, the L20 - http://www.epson.co.id/epson_indone...s/inkjet/product.page?product_name=Epson_L200

A tiny bit more data - http://www.meoxo.com/printer/epson-l100-l200-first-printer-tank-system-in-worlds.html

Per the article above: If only Epson would sell 70ml of ink for $5.5 in the States. Canon would be crushed!

 

[qwertydude]

This is truly a printer company wising up to demand. Instead of beating money out of people and just ruining their own reputation in the process, Epson does the right thing and finally gives people what they've actually been asking for. Genius, but it only took umpteen years for them to ditch their old model. Truly this is the death knell for Canon. Even at higher ink prices this can drive so much good will toward Epson from the higher volume users that Canon will feel the pinch. It may make Canon try to catch up and make their own high volume system.

We may be seeing a reversal of the ever shrinking cartridge paradigm. History in the making. Now Epson just needs to whip the marketing department here into shape and sell this in the US. The marketing guys must be drooling at the chance to make some ads bashing those "other" greedy printer companies kinda like Kodak tried before. Kodak failed because their printers sucked. Epson's don't suck so they have that advantage. Though the printer industry here is pretty much well saturated, taking all the market share away from HP and Canon could very well let them dominate the printer market. Let's see if they do the right thing. My money is on no.

It'll be business as usual. The reason? People for the most part here grumble about high ink prices but pretty much take it up the pooper when it comes to high ink prices and go "Meh, what can you do?". Few realize the potential for refilling and CISS systems. Overseas in Asia and the likes you have no choice, you're too poor to just buy ink at outrageous prices and so you get creative and learn to refill or use and maintain a CISS, and you get pretty good at it too because you've got no other choice. Soon it's a complete business model to circumvent the anti-refill tech that printer companies implement. I figure Epson was of the thought if you can't beat 'em join 'em. They may even turn people back into loyal Epson customers in the process instead of refilling rogues.

 

[martin0reg]

"if it isn't true it is still well invented" (Giordano Bruno)
If it isn't invented it is still well imitated (Epson)

The ink bottles are the interesting parts for us refillers...

..but probably this might be not the highest quality ink from epson..

 

[websnail]

Given that Epson have distinct sales zones and the precedent set regarding the Ink Pad Reset (IPR) utilities which they only released in the North American zone, while refusing point blank to consider releasing them elsewhere I doubt very much that we'll see anything like this anywhere outside of the low income zones like Africa, etc...

That said, if the EU and other governmental forces pick up on this and haven't been bought off, you can expect legislation to take years before Epson, etc... are forced to offer this sort of design to be offered here as well because it doesn't waste nearly as much plastic, or generate so much landfill...

I'm guessing you all noticed the bit about codes to confirm the legitimacy of the ink though... The more things change, the more they stay the same..

 

[martin0reg]

...
I'm guessing you all noticed the bit about codes to confirm the legitimacy of the ink though... The more things change, the more they stay the same..

Do you mean this passage in the pdf:
"Every 70ml bottle of Epson super high
capacity ink comes with a unique 13-digit code that
ensures its authenticity, and a cap for easy storage
of any unused ink. " ?
I think this must be a code to prevent from faking the ink/bottle.
The system can not be protected from using any other inks and the ink can not be protected to be used in other systems...

 

[qwertydude]

Yeah I was wondering about that. Would a prompt come up after you used so much ink to input an authorized code to continue printing? That way you can't just pour any old ink into the printer.

 

[websnail]

I'm guessing we'll have to wait until someone who can, buys one and reports back... I can't see Epson going this route without a seriously strong reason/plan that benefits them and protects their income.

 

[The Hat]

What we're all imagining here is a surreal Continues Ink Story..

 

[websnail]

What we're all imagining here is a surreal Continues Ink Story..

*looks meaningfully at "The Hat" and holds out his coat*