Was out running errands this afternoon & the weekly computer call-in show was on my radio station. The caller said someone had given her an older inkjet printer when they upgraded to a new one. That prompted the host to say he'd recently done some comparison shopping. He'd looked at a new (HP?) color laser printer. It cost between $250-$300 (don't remember the exact amount). He'd then priced replacement cartridges. The cost of replacing all 4 (3 color + 1 black) was $350 . . . More than $50 more than a whole new printer! Absoutely ridiculous. I think the computer companies who do that should be forced to pay a recycling/landfill fee which they aren't allowed to pass on to customers until such time that they come up with more environmentally sensible pricing.
The host also said that while kits to refill the cartridges were an option, some now have a chip in them that invalidates any warranty if you open the cartridge (tho some people just keep the original cartridge, put that back in when they return the malfunctioning unit & say "what refill?").
Sorry. Didn't mean to turn this into an environmental rant, but I think refill cartridges costing more than a whole new printer is just plain stupid.
Alicia