Dumb Question #2, Re: Inkjet printer refill cartridges

[CityK]

Does anyone know offhand which manufacturers employ the "best before" type scam with their refill cartridges. A friend of mine who just picked up a 4MP digicam is looking to get a printer for causal (i.e. non professional) pics that he would be taking. He is aware that the cost of the printer isn't what bites you, but rather the refills. He asked for my advice, but I'm printer illiterate, with the exception of knowing that there is definetly no need in being penalized even further by shady sales tactics on the consumables.

CK

 

[SteveC]

I think it's HP that has the built-in expiration on the cartridges. Any 6-color Canon or Epson should give good results for your friend.

 

[CityK]

Thanks Steve, I'll pass it on. (I could have sworn it was more than just HP though).

 

[i]

I'm not familiar with the "best before scam." Can someone fill me in?

At work we use roll-feed, 36" paper-path HP DesignJet printers. The ink cartridges they take (four - CYMK - 350mL cartridges simultaneously) have "best before" dates printed on the paperboard packaging, and also have a date of manufacture or "best before" date (can't remember which) stored in their internal microchip.

However, it's irrelevant. While you can display the cartridge date from the front panel, the printers have no internal clock/calendar, so you're free to put in a cartridge with a "best before" date of 01 Apr 2001 (which I did this morning, coincidentally) and absolutely nothing special will happen. The only thing "bad" about using a cartridge that's "out of date" is that HP offers no guarantee as to its performance. As far as that's concerned, the senior graphics tech says he's never noticed a difference using an out of date cartridge versus an "ok" one. For whatever that's worth.

 

[CityK]

i,

I just used "best before" as a matter of terminology, not as an exact descriptor of the problem. It was my impression that some of the manufacturers had programed the microchips in some of their inkjet cartridge units to cease operation after a certain point, regardless of the quantity of ink still contained within the resevior. But as I said, I'm not a printer type guy, so my knowledge of the details of such practice are, ahhhh, a little fuzzy.

CK

 

[mubs]

HP inkjet cartridges have built-in expiry dates

Expiry on HP printer cartridges hacked

 

[i]

"And that has led to the discovery that the only fix for this cunning consumables plan is to either set systems to dates in the past or, you guessed it, go change the cartridge or buy a new one."

If this is true, someone please tell me how a printer is keeping track of time.

Or are they implying that the printer driver is grabbing the current time off the system sending the job and embedding it in the data sent to the printer?

 

[mubs]

In all probability, the latter.

 

[Mercutio]

Just remember folks, 48% of HP's gross in 2002 was from the sale of ink.

The expiration thing has been an issue for at least two years.

 

[mubs]

Varning: PC World is riddled with pop-ups.

Epson Faces Consumer Suits; Complaints in three states claim printer vendor cuts off ink cartridges before they're empty.

 

[CityK]

Thanks for all the links mubs.

PS. you should use a browser (if you don't already) that blocks popups automatically

 

[mubs]

You're right, CityK. I have Firebird 0.7 installed, and do use it when I go to "bad" sites. But there are certain features in IE that I need that are not available in FB. Also, while FB is great, something makes me come back to IE.

 

[CityK]

For your IE needs, you should try out MyIE2 (if you haven't already ).

Firebird is nice and I use it a fair amount, but I find that it is currently a little too rudimentary. I'm not overly fond of the default, largely uncustomizable, tool and menu bars.

CK