this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2024
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I know we assume they're following the "razor blade" model but I actually find it hard to believe the printers are sold at a loss given how cheap it is to produce at this point.
Unless by "loss" we're saying "less than HP thought it could extract."
They're absolutely not producing them at a loss. The loss is only in their projections and expectations to price gouge their customers.
I just looked. You can get an HP Deskjet on Amazon for $40. They are producing those at a loss and expecting people to pay for their bullshit ink subscriptions.
Right. There isn't a printer under $150 that anyone should even consider. If you can't afford the upfront cost, then you won't be able to afford the ink of the "cheap" end of the market.
More people should consider not owning a printer at all and using a FedEx print shop or some such. I get the convenience argument for having one, but consider it.
I invested $150-200 on a Brother laser printer a very long time ago. Like we're talking USB 1.0 era long time ago. It still works just fine. I've had to replace the toner cartridge once. Those things are workhorses. They will last until the sun goes out. Get one of those if you need a printer. It will still be compatible with your OS, the quality will be all you'll likely ever need, and you don't even have to worry about getting a new one because you can get an ancient one on eBay for a very low price and it will still be fine. All you're missing is color and even if you print a lot, like you said, go to FedEx if you need color because it will probably be cheaper than ink anyway.