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