HP rolled out update blocking 3rd party ink cartridges

Re:HP rolled out update blocking 3rd party ink cartridges by otherme123 on Wednesday March 08, 2023 @08:26AM (#35068701)

This shouldn't make sense. It's like buying a car, and then you cannot refill unbranded gas at 1.5€/L, but at 5€/L at the official dealership. Same gas, car works exactly the same, but the car refuses to start it you put unbranded gas. No wonder the money is in the gas, tagging it at 500% the price it would get in a competitive market.

The mistery is why the printers market get away with it.

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Re:HP rolled out update blocking 3rd party ink cartridges by zdragnar on Wednesday March 08, 2023 @09:34AM (#35069399)

> It's like buying a car

Printers are basically sold at a loss.

A more apt analogy would be selling you a laundry washer/dryer for $100 but only accepting name brand detergent pods.

Or, what Keurig tried to do to coffee, though even they sell the machines above the printers margins.

Printers get away with it because unlike your car, laundry, or coffee maker, most people don't actually use the printer very often and can't be bothered to raise a public outcry over it.

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Re:HP rolled out update blocking 3rd party ink cartridges by otherme123 on Wednesday March 08, 2023 @10:12AM (#35069924)

I get what you say, but never bought the cheapest-product part. Brother printers compete in price with any HP equivalent, is not like HP is selling laser printers for $20. Maybe a 15% less than a equivalent Brother, if that.

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