| Ink is a historical product that has been around | | | | searching for toners to keep a piece of patent |
| for more than 5,000 years. We humans have | | | | rights of this lucrative market. There are many |
| been using it to print on paper for hundreds of | | | | reasons to buy Hewlett-Packard patented |
| years. As the story goes it took Johannes | | | | cartridges. Starting with the best reason of all, and |
| Gutenberg three years to make 200 copies of | | | | that being quality and durability. For the consumer |
| the bible. Fortunately, for modern civilization, | | | | expecting more longevity and quality ink jet |
| through research and manufacturing by | | | | cartridges it stands to reason that you have to |
| companies like Hewlett-Packard and others ink | | | | be willing to pay for such a higher standard. |
| cartridges exist that give us the capability to | | | | It wasn't that long ago that talk was rampant |
| make 200 copies in mere minutes. | | | | that we would have paperless offices before long. |
| There's little doubt that some compatible inks do | | | | However, today paper is still clearly and |
| live up to their claims. With proprietary rights | | | | apparently will always be an integral part of the |
| limitations and quick expiration dates of those | | | | office environment. More documents are being |
| rights, it's easy for another company to analyze | | | | printed than every before and the continuous use |
| the ink in, let's say a Hewlett Packard ink | | | | of paper is climbing at by almost 10 percent each |
| cartridge, come up with the formula, manufacture | | | | year. This as consumers demand higher quality |
| and market the ink for less than Hewlett Packard. | | | | and better print related products. For years |
| Since these third-party companies don't need to | | | | Hewlett-Packard has met this demand by |
| research their products, their production costs are | | | | introducing remarkably low priced printers with |
| far less than those of the original manufacturer | | | | multipurpose functions that will scan, copy, and |
| are. | | | | even fax the copy as well. Nevertheless, the |
| We've reached a point where the sales of inkjet | | | | truth is, there is no free lunch. If consumers want |
| cartridge exceed the sales of the printers they go | | | | better options in printing there is a price to be |
| in. Thus, Hewlett-Packard and other printer | | | | paid to have these products researched and |
| manufacturers spend more and more money | | | | manufactured. |