By: David Picella
Copyright 2006 Majella.us
Before you buy another printer, make sure you read this article.
The printing manufacturers actually don't make any money on the
printer itself. Instead, the real profits are made on the ink
and toner. In general, the cheaper the printer, the more you
will get gouged when it comes to replacing cartridges. But this
is not always the case. The high end printer manufacturers are
ready and willing to jump deep into your pocketbook. And if you
let them, they will stay there for very long time.
The Microchip Scheme
The primary way in which the printing companies gouge your
pocketbook is by placing a small microchip on the ink or toner
cartridge. The cartridge will stop working when you print a
fixed number of pages (usually around 5,000) even if you have
plenty of supply remaining. Sometimes the chips are also
programmed to stop working after a fixed period of time (e.g.,
six months) regardless of how many pages you have printed. The
chips are usually patented so as to guarantee that you will
always buy a new cartridge from the original manufacturer.
Just to illustrate how costly it can be to buy the wrong
printer, here is a personal example. I fell for HP's marketing
scheme and bought a "low cost" HP 1500 Color Laser Jet two years
ago for $499.00. I just checked with Staples.com and the cost of
replacing all the toner cartridges and drum including tax (free
shipping) is $597.33.
Is there a way around this?
Yes! If you do not have a chip on the cartridge then you can
simply look on the internet and find a refill kit. This will
work quite well. However, as a general rule, printing quality
will decrease after approximately five refills.
If you have a microchip on your cartridge, there are a couple of
options. First, with many cartridges you will be able to find a
"chip reset" kit on the internet. Buying ink or toner and a chip
reset kit is usually much cheaper than replacing the cartridge.
You will be able to use the reset kit over and over again, so it
will pay for itself. If you can't find a reset kit for your
cartridge, you can probably find a replacement chip. The
microchips are usually glued on the side of the cartridge, so
you can just pry off the old chip and glue on a new one.
The "Nuclear Option"
I saved the best for last! If this works, it is your best
option, but you might have to do a little bit of internet
research on your specific printer. What the printing companies
don't want you to know is that there is usually a way to
configure your printer such that you are able to reset the chip
memory. In some cases, you can completely disable the printer's
use of the chip. Getting back to my HP 1500 Color LaserJet, I
was able to do this by holding down the big green button for 20
seconds when the power is turned on. On this printer, this
causes what is known as a "hard reset" of all internal memory
settings. Whereas I should have been forced to replace all of my
toner and the drum, I have now been printing for months in
normal operation without a glitch and with no error messages!
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will be able
reset, replace, or bypass the microchip on your printer's
cartridge. Every year, it seems that the printer manufacturers
become more and more skilled at preventing you from taking
charge of your machine. However, now you are armed with a little
bit of knowledge--and knowledge is power. The next time your
printer runs out of ink or toner, don't be so eager to go out
and buy a new cartridge. Remember, if there is a way around it,
you can find it! The personal satisfaction you get in saving
money and beating them at their own game will put a little bit
of excitement in what might have been a depressing and costly
situation.
About the author:
David Picella is a Family Nurse Practitioner and PhD Student who
studies women's health issues, infertility, and NaProTechnology.
He also writes computer technical articles. You can find
additional technical resources for this article in the
technology section at: http://www.majella.us
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