Now THIS does seem to be a smart device!

I recently had to pick up a new printer when my old one bit the dust. It didn't break my heart because I needed to upgrade anyone, due to a job change and greater demands for an all in one device.

So I picked up a new HP printer/fax/san/web/copy device. As usual plenty of choices and good value. The one I got was about $150 and fits my needs well.


But here is the kicker. The printer uses the web to keep track of how many pages you print, and reports them to an Instant Ink service once you sign up. Based on usage habits and capacity of the cartridges, it predicts when your ink needs will hit, and they ship ink to you. So essentially the printer orders the ink it needs. :) It seems a well thought out plan, as they ship ink when you are down to a 2 month supply based on your use habits.

Costs are great too, with plans as low as $3 a month for those that print 50 pages or less. I signed up for the 300 pages a month plan for $10, and any overage is only $1 for each 25 pages. You can also roll over unused pages to the next month similar to the way many cell plans used to work. If I print less, I can alter the plan at any time to less pages per month and less cost.


1 XL black cartridge and 1 each of the color for this printer was $90 retail. Based on use from time of purchase I'd estimate a minimum of $25-$30 monthly in ink costs at my use levels.

I'll let you all know how well it works. It looks like this will make life easy for me, and save my company money as well. Even though I don't pay for my own ink (I expense it to the company) it should be worth it in time savings alone.

Aye when you think of the old days of connecting printers by serial cable and loading drivers etc and they cost almost as much as a computer!

Now they are very cheap, work off wifi and do fancy stuff like ordering ink.

Mind you I still have little use for one. Who really needs paper?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark

Aye when you think of the old days of connecting printers by serial cable and loading drivers etc and they cost almost as much as a computer!

Now they are very cheap, work off wifi and do fancy stuff like ordering ink.

Mind you I still have little use for one. Who really needs paper?

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Anyone with a toilet?

:D

I have a similar all-in-one HP photosmart product. When it works it is brilliant, but it loses it's charm when you try and use the wifi connection and it tells you that it can't find your computer.

How can it not find my computer when it is 1 inch to the right of the frigging thing!!!!!!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark

Aye when you think of the old days of connecting printers by serial cable and loading drivers etc and they cost almost as much as a computer!

Now they are very cheap, work off wifi and do fancy stuff like ordering ink.

Mind you I still have little use for one. Who really needs paper?

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I hardly ever use the print function, maybe only when I need an e-ticket for something. I make most use out of the scanner function.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brown, Jon Brow

I have a similar all-in-one HP photosmart product. When it works it is brilliant, but it loses it's charm when you try and use the wifi connection and it tells you that it can't find your computer.

How can it not find my computer when it is 1 inch to the right of the frigging thing!!!!!!!!!

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My older HP did have some connection problems at times. I usually connect my computer with a USB cable, and others connect via Wifi. This one so far connects every time to all other devices, including the phones.


As for Marks comment about paper I agree. I don't use nearly as much as I used to, but unfortunately with my job we still print upwards of 250-300 pages per month. I should complain but don't as my company has actually trimmed the paperwork quite a bit vs some other companies in the same profession. We do pay bills and quite a few other things via electronic methods only, which probably saves quite a few trees vs my last company.

I think for most home users this is more of a gimmick, and money generator.
The vast majority of people will rarely print volumes sufficient to make a scheme like this cost effective, it just seems like a way to tie you into purchasing ink where you may have held of.

I thought the same at first, but for what little personal printing we do ourselves, ink is probably at least $60-$70 a year. Add on top of that time and fuel used going to pick up ink when we need it. And these plans can be cancelled at any time, so there is no real "catch".

Thinking back, probably the only time we paid less than $36 a year is back when we used ribbons, and not ink. :)

At work lots of people seem to print lots of stuff. Personally it's exceptionally rare I need a printer. Usually it's only for returns labels and the likes.