It would be nice if the ink level gauge was accurate period. Ink jet printers don't actually measure the amount of ink in the cartridges, they just estimate based on the amount of use. I heard that someone filed suit against HP for having ink level estimators that consistently under-estimated the amount left in the cartridges. They were accused of doing this intentionally to increase cartridge sales. Of course, HP could counter that it is better to change the cartridge a little too soon than a little too late.

Adding an ink level gauge to the printer itself would increase the cost of the printer. Now, if you're willing to pay the premium, that would be fine. I don't know if any printers have this feature or not. Our printer software at work always shows the ink level in the cartridges every time I print anything. This makes a separate gauge on the printer rather pointless.