Tonernews.com, May 24, 2005. USA
| Compatible and remanufactured laser cartridges taking up market share. Consumers look for economical alternatives to OEM cartridges |
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| 2005-05 – Due to the drop in price, laser printer has gained popularity among small offices and home offices in recent years. The cheapest laser printers are now selling at $200 and outperform inkjet printers in both speed and printing quality. However, since most offices have to print a lot of manual and brochures, the cost of drum and laser toner cartridges can be prohibitive to those who are on a low printing budget. To reduce printing cost, consumers are turning to compatible and remanufactured/refurbished laser cartridges these days. Compatible or generic laser cartridges are like the generic drugs in pharmaceutical industry. They meet the same specification of name brand cartridges but are offered at half or one-third of the price. On the other hand, remanufactured/refurbished laser cartridges are name brand cartridges which have been through one cycle of service. They are usually disassembled, cleaned, repaired and refilled before releasing to the market again. Consumers who buy remanufactured cartridges are not only concerned about the price, but the benefit to the environment as well. One consumer was quoted saying “I buy the remanufactured cartridges because it is good for the environment, the lower price is just a bonus”. With compatible and remanufactured cartridges taking up market share, printer manufacturers are working to protect their profits. Some manufacturers try to ban the sales of compatible cartridges in courts, claiming that they have violated patent technology. Others have incorporated smart chips or printer heads in their cartridges to prevent consumers from using compatible or remanufactured cartridges from third-party manufacturers. |