The NYTimes David Pogue battles the cell phone giants: Take back the beepIn 2007, I spoke at an international cellular conference in Italy. The big buzzword was ARPU–Average Revenue Per User. The seminars all had titles like, “Maximizing ARPU In a Digital Age.” And yes, several attendees (cell executives) admitted to me, point-blank, that the voicemail instructions exist primarily to make you use up airtime, thereby maximizing ARPU. It's such a shameless scam. If I was dictator of the world I'd get these guys right after those colluding inkjet printer manufacturers.
One of those ah-ha moments. I lothe those instructions.
What bothers you about the inkjet printer manufacturers?
Collusion among manufacturers to keep refill cartridge prices high ($8000 / gal!) Paying off retail outlets to not stock 3rd party refill cartridges ($100 million given to Staples by HP.) As well as using the dreaded Digital Milenium Copyright Act (DMCA) to sue companies trying to sell reasonably priced refill cartridges. Locking the printer from printing anything when one cartridge runs out (i.e., a color cartridge runs out, and the printer stops working even if you just want to print in black and there is plenty of black ink.) And locking the printer with a cartridge empty error when the cartridge is not yet empty!
It's comforting to learn that all my gripes about printers and ink really are about a conspiracy.
xerox machines also command service calls for cartridges on a prescribed timing basis not an empty cartridge. i wish ralph nader was still a consumer advocate. hes needed for that now more than ever.
Don't forget my personal favorite...every ink jet printer needs different cartridges. We have four different printers (don't ask) and each one needs two different cartridges for a total of eight we need on hand. I never have the correct combination of cartridges - since they all use ink at different rates.
my cartridges cost $70
a new printer w/one is $100
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- jim 7-31-2009 3:58 pm
One of those ah-ha moments. I lothe those instructions.
What bothers you about the inkjet printer manufacturers?
- steve 8-01-2009 4:56 am
Collusion among manufacturers to keep refill cartridge prices high ($8000 / gal!) Paying off retail outlets to not stock 3rd party refill cartridges ($100 million given to Staples by HP.) As well as using the dreaded Digital Milenium Copyright Act (DMCA) to sue companies trying to sell reasonably priced refill cartridges. Locking the printer from printing anything when one cartridge runs out (i.e., a color cartridge runs out, and the printer stops working even if you just want to print in black and there is plenty of black ink.) And locking the printer with a cartridge empty error when the cartridge is not yet empty!
- jim 8-01-2009 2:08 pm
It's comforting to learn that all my gripes about printers and ink really are about a conspiracy.
- steve 8-01-2009 4:35 pm
xerox machines also command service calls for cartridges on a prescribed timing basis not an empty cartridge. i wish ralph nader was still a consumer advocate. hes needed for that now more than ever.
- bill 8-01-2009 5:02 pm
Don't forget my personal favorite...every ink jet printer needs different cartridges. We have four different printers (don't ask) and each one needs two different cartridges for a total of eight we need on hand. I never have the correct combination of cartridges - since they all use ink at different rates.
- elisabeth 8-02-2009 2:29 am
my cartridges cost $70
a new printer w/one is $100
- Skinny 8-02-2009 8:18 am