One of the most disturbing experiences in the use of a computer is the scandalous overpricing of the computer ink cartridges. It is, in effect, a scam of the printer companies who capture a consumer when the printer is purchased at a very reasonable price and then, like a drug addict who is dependent upon his supplier, he is ever after dependent upon the manufacturer for the cartridges which are astronomically overpriced. It came to the point where I found it cheaper to purchase a new printer with the included cartridges than buy replacement cartridges for my old printer. A cartridge is essentially an inexpensive plastic box containing the control mechanism and a piece of foam plastic soaked in ink. When the ink runs out, the whole thing must be discarded to get a new one - which is excessively expensive. It would be simple to have the cartridge in two mating sections so that the control section could be more or less permanant while the ink soaked foam plastic could be replaced by a disposable inexpensive section. I know that there are ink replacement kits and counterfeit less expensive cartridges on the market but my good printer is designed to reject any but the genuine cartridges to ensure that the manufacturer can overcharge me several hundred percent if the actual cost of the cartridges. An honest manufacturer with a sense of decent public service could do well economically with a good printer and sensibly priced ink cartridges with cheap ink replacement systems.

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