HP claims expensive ink is worth every penny

It is an open secret that printer ink is expensive. In fact, in many cases it is cheaper to buy a new printer with a starter cartridge than it is to buy a refill. But HP believes the charges are fully justified, by research and development costs. They seem quite apologetic.

The key point in a nutshell: Ink technology is expensive to develop, and you pay for reliability and image quality. "These liquids are completely different from a technology standpoint," Brown says, adding that users concerned about cost per page can buy "XL" ink cartridges from HP that last two to three times longer. (Competitors offer similar cartridges).

The message: You get value for the money. No getting around it though: Ink is still expensive, particularly if you have to use that Photosmart ink jet printer for black and white text pages.

Buyer beware. We are moving closer and closer to an age where devices like the iPad will make printers less and less useful. Ink will only become more expensive to prop up sagging profits.

The Economics of Ink Cartridges

The black ink in my printer has run out again. It seems like I just bought ink. I went down to Staples and found my ink cartridge... around $18 for one (there are 5 ink cartridges total in my printer, so about $90 to replace all of them). Being somewhat of a cheapskate, I decided to go back to my online searching I had done before to see what I could find. For $8.40 I can get a generic cartridge shipped to me. Granted, I have to move the electronic chip from my old cartridge to the new one, but they provide easy to follow directions. Has anyone else had any dealings with non-manufacturer ink cartridges? What have you found? Is the hassle and risk of non-manufacturer ink cartridges worth the savings?