Tonernews.com, May 24, 2005. USA
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Compatible and remanufactured laser cartridges taking up market share.
Consumers look for economical alternatives to OEM cartridges2005-05 – 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.
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