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Any source on that? I find it hard to believe that something as commonplace as a printer, a technology that has been around for so many decades, is hard to manu
by bogwog 4y ago
Any source on that? I find it hard to believe that something as commonplace as a printer, a technology that has been around for so many decades, is hard to manufacture profitably.
Maybe I'm wrong, since I have nothing to go by besides a gut feeling mixed with assumptions and a sprinkling of common sense, so I would love a source.
The only scenario I can think of which makes sense to me is that making printers is a patent minefield, making it difficult/impossible for a competitor to come in and disrupt anything (plus it's not a very attractive industry anyways). There's probably also a lot of anti-competitive stuff going on too, like supplier contracts that prohibit working with other printer companies, etc.
- can16358p 4y agoThe problem isn't manufacturing. You can perfectly manufacture a great printer, but when HP and the like are selling printers at loss to make money off cartgridges, many consumers will simply buy the cheaper one: HP. Sure, you'll have some smarter customers who made their research and picked you, but it will probably not enough of a margin to compensate against a giant like HP.
- cortesoft 4y agoIt doesn’t matter how cheaply you make it, HP can make it just as cheaply… and then they will sell it for even less because they sell at a loss. You then have two printers, one selling for a lot more than the other but having all this ink shenanigans… and consumers will buy the ink shenanigans every time, because the sticker price is all that matters.