How much longer will inkjet technology be with us?

[unclefalter]

Hi there,

Just a general throw-around question. We have been doing handfilling for a number of years and are looking at purchasing one of speedbrite's refilling units to assist us in lifting product quality.

But I am curious -- with the advent of cheaper color laser printers, how much of a future is left for inkjets and inkjet refillers in general? Does this business have even 5 years left before color laser takes over, or OEMs find a way to completely prevent remanufacturing/refilling of their carts?

Opinions?

 

[websnail]

But I am curious -- with the advent of cheaper color laser printers, how much of a future is left for inkjets and inkjet refillers in general? Does this business have even 5 years left before color laser takes over, or OEMs find a way to completely prevent remanufacturing/refilling of their carts?

I can't be 100% sure but as far as colour lasers go, I did the maths on a few models and found that they don't compare too favourably... Of course that may well change as remanufactured toner, etc... comes in but from what I've seen the way companies like Epson and HP deal with this is to have limited life components like the fuser, drum, etc... All of which costs and requires maintenance..

So far I don't see anything obvious taking inkjet tech out off the market any time soon.

 

[panos]

Color lasers might become cheaper but they will never be able to match the quality of liquid ink.

However, if Xerox decides to release the patents for the hot wax technology, we might see some strong competition to inkjet...

 

[Osage]

I would make my predictions but my crystal ball is currently in the repair shop. But I can add some historical perspective and should apologise in advance for this rant.

Classic economic models asume innovations drive technology. Better technology comes along, manufacters introduce products that offer better value, consumers buy better products, even though the buggywhip maker suffers.

For a brief moment in time Canon has steped up to show some glimse of what the inkjet printer can do in terms of economy when in the hands of an informed consumer. Now Canon is backstepping to force users to use its proprietory cartridges with its new chips. That they may still be better than the competition is not the point. The arguement that we are a little better than the other guy does not fuel innovation.

Maybe color lasers will be the wave of the future but has the same potential for the printer makers to force the consumer to use its proprietary products.

Can't remember who said it but it was in the 1940's or 50's. The statement that what is good for General Motors is good for the country. At the time GM was riding high, able to shape the auto industry, and dictate what the consumer could buy. They failed to innovate and now are in really sad shape.

Now Xerox, glad you mentioned them----a company born from innovation. Seems these Xerox managers spent a small fortune in Menlo Park pioneering the personal computer. Then the management decided no one could afford the hardware and sold out to apple for a song. In turn Apple made a fortune but got too proprietary opening the way for Bill Gates who was a smarter monopolist. Took Gates years to even come close to what Xerox had in terms of software.

This is the greedy executive thinking that dominates industry. Whose fault is it?
The greedy and shortsighted executives or the consumers who don't demand better? But one thing for sure, the consumer is being hosed and should have much better products at this moment in time. Instead we are marching backward and the Lexmark business models shall lead the way with ever smaller cartridges, higher per page costs, and God forbid any printer manufacter be so consumer friendly as to rock the boat. The important thing is to keep the good times rolling and squash anyone who even dares to think about offering consumer value.

PLease some one shut me up before I start talking about the cell phone industry.

 

[websnail]

Funny you should mention the whole proprietary model.

I came across CIS kits about 3 years back thanks to ebay showing me what keywords to use... What I found as a result was a way to save money.. what I didn't realise was just how much money I would be able to save... Neither did the school. They went for it on the basis of it being less hassle to maintain and in truth I figured it'd be about the same cost as generic carts from manufacturers such as InkRite, etc...

So, imagine my surprise when I discover that the school saved over 1,000 in less than 2 years despite having paid for 4 new printers, 4 CIS kits and all the ink. Next year they'll be saving closer to 2,000... (and that's just on generic carts)

Now the thing is, and perhaps a little hope at this point, it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for the fact that people decided to look for ways around the smart chips that Epson started putting on their cartridges. Once those resetters and eventually the auto-reset chips were duplicated it all became possible to tell Epson where to shove the 6,000 they would have charged the school for their ink, and move over to alternative, cheaper and in some cases, better ink supplies.


Of course the flip side of this is that perhaps Epson and other manufacturers will try to use legal process to force such workarounds out of business but should that happen I suspect they'll make less sales and someone else will appear with alternatives that work. After all, if a new company started over the next few years and resorted back to "old" inkjet technology and kept it cost effective, who's going to argue that higher priced alternatives are better..

Ok, starting to waffle now but you get the idea... innovation can sometimes provide the key to beating the manufacturers just enough to allow those, with the time, to find a better way.

 

[Osage]

Precisely the point websnail,

You are exactly the innovative consumer I was talking about. CIS has saved you
big money and I have seen your other posts about how to add a CIS to various model printers.

There is no reason that a CIS should not come as standard equipment saving the consumer the hassle of cobbling such a unit together. And mass production could lower its cost and make it even more trouble free.

Unless your business model is to make money on the ink rather than offer consumer value in which case unbeatable chips may be the wave of the future.

Unless informed consumers demand better we will get this treatment.

 

[websnail]

Unless your business model is to make money on the ink rather than offer consumer value in which case unbeatable chips may be the wave of the future.

In fairness, part of my business model on providing pre-configured CIS kits and ink is that I do put a markup of around 20% on the ink but that's based on the fact that I spent plenty of hours researching the whole ink issue as well as the CIS side of things too..

I'm sure Canon, Epson, etc... all profess that their prices also represent those costs but in all honesty it's pretty obvious that they are way beyond that and is not about massive profits, instead of covering costs and a reasonable profit.

As with all economics 101, if the demand can take it, they they'll supply it that way.

 

[Osage]

The hypothetical your was meant to refer to the inkjet printer manufacter who could build printers based on the CIS principle from the ground up. Not to a third party like websnail who is entitled to any small profits to be generated by offering better consumer value. But the sole purpose of a chip is to sqeeze out any and all third party innovators.

Such a printer built on the CIS principle would be a far different printer and could probably blow the socks off the most economical lasers in terms of consumable costs and fuel new innovation in the industry itself. Opening up new markets for inkjet printers--especially in the commercial area where lasers dominate. And be a platform for unheard of consumer quality.

The fact that such a unit does not exist speaks to why the printer industry seeks to shape its markets rather than innovate. And we sheepish consumers allow it.

 

[websnail]

Ah... and there was me feeling all important

Take your point though...

 

[unclefalter]

So getting back to the topic.. hehe... if you were looking at upgrading your capability as a refiller of carts... could you see another 5 years worth of business out there? Are inkjet carts going to be manufactured for much longer? Or will lasers have wiped them out long before then?