Deskjet turns 20: HP celebrates two decades of robbing you blind

Turns out HP has been selling its Deskjet series of printers for 20 years now, with 240 million customers around the world and untold billions spent on overpriced ink cartridges. The HP Deskjet continues to outsell all other inkjet printers on the market, and HP shows no sign of slowing down -- or letting up on those profit margins.

[julz007 @ Feb 28th 2008 4:33PM]

Canon printers all the way

[polvadis @ Feb 28th 2008 5:57PM]

I hate Canon and their non-removable print heads. At least with HP you change the 'head' every time you change ink, with Canon they slowly clog up and become unusable after about a year, depending on usage.

Love Canon cameras, hate their printers.

[Ed Fry @ Feb 28th 2008 6:08PM]

Canon used to have their print heads on the cartridges, but for some reason they decided to go with the Epson "Throw the printer away" strategy a couple of years ago.

If you ever find a Canon that takes a BC-02, BC-05 BC-20 or BC-21 cartridge, cherish it. Their by far the easiest cartridges to refill, reuse and maintain.

HP wise, after the deskjet 900 series they pretty much went into disposable mode. my 15+ year old 560c still works, and I've given 500 and 520 B/W deskjets to friends of mine that still print away. The only problem is finding cartridges for them. Especially the 500 series color carts.

[Mehul @ Feb 28th 2008 6:59PM]

I dont know what you guys are talking about. The new Canon printers with two cartridge system have printheads built right on the cartridge. Just like HP.

The ones with individual cartridges do not have printheads on cartridges but the printheads ARE removable unlike Epson. Search for a ip4000 printhead on ebay and you'll find them all.. they run for about $40.

I've only used Canon printers and I love their quality and they come with 3 times the ink in their cartridges. Too bad people dont realize this.

[Gus @ Feb 28th 2008 4:34PM]

Why would they stop? They're not the only company relying on a household name to make money. Seems to work fine for them.

[johnny5 @ Feb 28th 2008 4:39PM]

Yeah, but there's something wrong with the system when whole stores like Cartridge World (not as fun as Disney World, I understand) are set up just to sell cheaper inkjet cartridges. I wish Xerox would work on really knocking down the price of solid ink printers.

[Aguiluz @ Feb 28th 2008 4:36PM]

I got a HP Deskjet-all-in-one, and when I replace the Ink Carts, I noticed the print head goes with it. So every time I buy a new cart, I essentially buy a new print head too. Does that drive up costs?

[Aguiluz @ Feb 28th 2008 4:41PM]

Look at this:

http://images.tomshardware.com/2002/09/06/hp_deskjet_5550/hp_deskjet_5550_4.jpg

Those "ribbon wire" go to the print head, which gets replaced when you buy a new one. Drives up costs if you ask me.

[Luke @ Feb 28th 2008 4:41PM]

Maybe, however, you are getting a brand-new, clog-free print head every time.

But in another, more accurate way, yes, they are totally gouging you for it.

[Jon @ Feb 28th 2008 5:09PM]

Yes but...

My first inkjet was an Epson (I remember how bullet-proof their dot matrix printers were... inkjets turned out to be very different though).

The Epson strategy was to leave the print-head attached to the printer & just replace the ink reservoir. I wasn't exactly a high volume printer (put off by the price of ink and poor quality results!) so needless to say the print-head quickly got clogged and nothing I could do would unclog it. Piece of junk.

[JTM @ Feb 28th 2008 7:28PM]

I had an Epson c80. If you don't use that printer every day the print head gets clogged. Due to my infrequent usage, I had to use the clean print head function every time I turned it on.

The procedure for cleaning the print head? Blast ink at it till it comes clean. If at first you don't succeed - blast more ink at it. Needless to say, brand new carts were empty after about 6 uses because of the stupid cleaning technique.

I now use laser exclusively.

[Cahlito @ Feb 28th 2008 4:39PM]

Here at my office, all the printers are HPs. Mostly Laserjets, only the big copier/scanner/fax/email machine in the back is a toshiba estudio I think. For the most part, I think HP does a good job. Hey I just noticed HP makes printers and computers!

[jmiday @ Feb 28th 2008 4:43PM]

now crawl back under your rock.

[Kamokazi @ Feb 28th 2008 5:07PM]

HP's LaserJets are great machines, but more importantly to an IT guy like me, they are VERY servicable and have great support. They have detailed online part diagrams and you can purchase most parts at fairly reasonable prices from them. Their tech support really goes above and beyond...for a 4-year-old, no support contract printer, I got fast, knowledgable American tech support that followed up with calls and e-mail to make sure everything was working fine afterwards.

But yeah, they f**k consumers over whenever possible. I've advised my family to purchase the low-cost ink Kodak injet printers and they work quite well. My grandmother's printhead went bad on hers and they shipped her a replacement with instructions easy enough that she was able to install it. On top of that, she got two extra sets of ink cartridges because it took them an extra week to get it shipped.

[Matt O @ Feb 28th 2008 4:41PM]

I dont know why you make it seem like HP makes crap printers. I havent used many but i have an HP all in one that is not only designed great so it isnt an eye sore like other all in ones but it prints fast and efficiently when printing documents and prints photos quite nicely. Furthermore, i dont mind paying for the print cartridges every once in awhile but if it bothers you just by a cheap refill kit.

Just how i feel about the whole thing.

[Ron Hands @ Feb 28th 2008 5:12PM]

Why all the hate. I've had HP printers for all of those 20 years and I can't recommend them enough. Yes, I know as far as ink and toner go they cost more but my experience has been outstanding reliability. No, I don't work for HP. I have owned other printers but I've always comeback to HP. I do have to also say that Canon is excellent as well. Just my 2 cents worth.

R

[John @ Feb 28th 2008 5:43PM]

All I know is that the HP printer I currently own is such a piece of crap that I have to manually feed it sheet by sheet. It doesn't even have the ability to feed paper properly, and the ink I have to buy costs a good $5 more than other HP inks. Biggest money sucking POS I've ever owned.

[TomWBrowning @ Feb 28th 2008 4:41PM]

That picture brings back memories. Mainly bad ones.

[Homeboy @ Feb 28th 2008 5:06PM]

I second that. Makes me take a trip down the memory lane back to 1998 when I had a microwave sized HP deskjet 600 which woke up the entire family every time I was printing out homework late at night. I remember that ink was dead expensive, not only that but you were lucky if your printer lasted more than one and a half years.

[TomWBrowning @ Feb 28th 2008 5:07PM]

Did you ever have to carry yours up and down stairs? I bloody did.

[potato @ Feb 28th 2008 7:50PM]

Spoiled youngins. I had an old dot matrix printer way back in the day, could wake up the whole darned neighborhood when it's printing...

Oh, and it only took paper with holes at the sides, very cool, those days.

[Justin Best @ Feb 28th 2008 4:41PM]

It didn't used to be this way. The DeskJet 500C shown in the picture was around $500 to purchase, if I recall. And the ink cartridges weren't nearly as outrageously priced as they are nowadays.

Do you really think that HP can design, produce, package, ship, and support a color inkjet printer for $69? It's the ridiculously overpriced ink cartridge sales that are subsidizing the ridiculously low printer prices.

I miss the old days.

[bob e @ Feb 28th 2008 4:43PM]

I have a friend who still uses the original Deskjet 500 on a daily basis (on a Mac Quadra emulating an Atari TT030). I had one myself, damn reliable printers.

[Dirk Lucas @ Feb 28th 2008 5:17PM]

My sister does, too.

Stupid thing is: All (and by that I mean *a lot*) of DJ500 printers I knew had severe problems with the paper tray rollers after a few years. And all could have been repaired by very simple means. So simple that HP charged approximately the same sum for the repair as they did as an original retail price. Essentially my repair method was something elaborate as putting a piece of cardboard into the paper tray.

Needless to say that the Laserjet we bought as a replacement before we figured out how to repair the DJ suffered from almost exactly the same defect after a couple of years. But HP had a repair kit then.

[SimonRichards @ Feb 28th 2008 10:18PM]

My Grandma has one of those :D

Myself, I have an HP Deskjet 6800 which is an A3 printer, and funnily enough, just earlier today I was replacing a cartridge and thinking the last one didnt last long.

[Fraser Drew @ Feb 28th 2008 4:46PM]

to be fair ink has come down a lot in price over the last few years, and HP is one of the cheaper brands. Here in the UK, a colour cartridge will set you back about £15-£25 on the high street, while online often under £10. Not too shabby really

[Mr. Gremlin @ Feb 28th 2008 4:48PM]

HP blows. Bring on the competition.

[ShadowMaker @ Feb 28th 2008 4:49PM]

My dad had a 510 back in 1992 or something like that. It came with a 3 year pick-up-and-return warranty! I think I had a problem with it at almost the end of that period. I called. They picked it up the next day. And I think it was returned or exchanged within two weeks. Ah...those were the days. Now where did I put those mix-tapes?

[ShadowMaker @ Feb 28th 2008 4:49PM]

My dad had a 510 back in 1992 or something like that. It came with a 3 year pick-up-and-return warranty! I think I had a problem with it at almost the end of that period. I called. They picked it up the next day. And I think it was returned or exchanged within two weeks. Ah...those were the days. Now where did I put those mix-tapes?

[Victor Caballero @ Feb 28th 2008 4:52PM]

True HP makes a mint selling cartridges. What would be a fair price to charge? $10? Have you tried to fill a cartridge? What a pain that can be and most refilled cartridges are junk ink or toner.

Are extra capacity carts the solution?

The problem is that these printers are not very good to start with either. I've had several Officejet printers, all sorts of jams and print feed problems.

And I have lots of empties here, what do I do with them, just think of all the landfill waste....

There has to be a solution.
I try to buy laser printers when I can, but the toner is very very expensive. Basically I can buy a new printer for the cost of the 4 toner carts.

[Jon @ Feb 28th 2008 5:04PM]

...and when you need to buy a new drum it's pretty much the cost of the laser printer. Assuming that it takes you 2+ years to work your way through a drum you're best off chucking the printer and buying a new one - that way you get all new parts & warranty, full toner (assuming they don't pull a fast one & ship with a "starter" toner) and newer technology, all for about the same price.

I've got a networked B&W laser at home... reliable perfect printouts every time at much less cost than our colour inkjet.

But it's all crazy economics and not exactly good for the environment!

[Sauerkraut @ Feb 28th 2008 4:55PM]

HP computers suck so much and their printers are so overpriced. Canon is very good and more than competitively priced

[StinkyPete @ Feb 28th 2008 4:59PM]

I don't miss the days of the 3 series DeskJet printers. Having to use those spring-loaded brillo pads on the rollers. What a mess those made...

[ijw @ Feb 28th 2008 5:03PM]

Some break free :-)

http://flickr.com/photos/ianjw/2272182976/

[YoMomma @ Feb 28th 2008 6:07PM]

that was a sad story but with a happy end. hope he finds a usb.

[Laura @ Feb 28th 2008 5:06PM]

it's the same age as me! however, I'd like to think I don't look as ancient as that thing :)

[Thorin78 @ Feb 28th 2008 5:09PM]

I missed the 20th anniversary of the razor blade. Where was that?

[Rob @ Feb 28th 2008 5:11PM]

I have got to say, even though their cartridges are indeed way overpriced, they have the best desk jet printers I have ever used. They just keep chugging! Now if I could say as much for this piece of junk Lexmark. Why did I leave my HP at home?

[AMFS @ Feb 28th 2008 5:44PM]

Well I'll be damned...the printer in that picture...I think I have that very one still. Not actively connected to my PC, but it still works amazingly. HP Deskjet 500c I believe. Best printer ever, except for that 1ppm nonsense.

[ralph @ Feb 28th 2008 5:52PM]

screw bubble jet printers

laser all the way!

[retro77 @ Feb 28th 2008 5:52PM]

Bias article maybe? If it costs too much for you then don't buy it.
My first DeskJet was the 825. Good printer. Better than the 24pin it replaced.

[darkstar @ Feb 28th 2008 5:53PM]

OMG!
i have that exact same printer!

[Pastry Chef @ Feb 28th 2008 6:06PM]

I know their ink carts are expensive, but, after having gone through several Epson and clogged heads, I bit the bullet and got an HP all in one. It has been working flawlessly for almost 3 years.

The worse part of the Epsons dying on me were the fact that I had to uninstall old drivers and install new drivers on several computers. The HP just keeps working. I don't mind paying a bit more for the ink because it's headache-free.

[Iridium @ Feb 28th 2008 6:14PM]

I had a Deskjet 1200C, I think, the thing was a tank. All I know is that HP still has to sell the cartridges for them because they don't break. You still can get 70ml of ink for $18, a far cry from the 7ml $35 ink carts they sell now. You could print a thousand pages before you ran out of black ink. Up until 5 years ago I would only buy HP, now I won't even take a HP printer if it is given to me.

HP printers used to stand for quality. Now they are absolute pieces of crap with ink that lasts for 50 pages if you are lucky. They kept the ink carts the same price but dropped capacity to 1/8th what it used to be thinking people wouldn't notice. Then HP tells us that its better ink and that the printer uses less of it per page so that is why the capacity has dropped, yeah right.

I bought a Canon printer for $70 that uses 38ml tanks. The build quality is far superior to the HP in the same price range and even if it breaks in a year I'll have paid for the printer with the ink savings due to the $30 7ml ink carts the HP takes.

[Russell @ Feb 29th 2008 1:44AM]

Exactly, I'm seeing this in the IT world for sure, and it's starting to slip up the line into the previously great business inkjets and laserjets.

Every single HP consumer printer is complete and total ass with overpriced consumables. Drivers are 600MB and clog up your computer, paper feeds are flimsy and unreliable, etc etc...

I still love the high end laserjets and designjets, but the lower end models are starting to turn to crap as well.

I've found that Samsung, Canon, Epson, Brother, even Dell all have better deals and better printers on the low end than HP, with much thinner and more stable drivers and usually better price per page/ ink costs. Epson sure does love to waste ink still though.

The worst thing is that you cannot really spend $300 or so on a good inkjet printer anymore, it's going to be crapola for $99, or something you don't need for $500 that is still built like it's $99.

[david dansky @ Feb 28th 2008 6:21PM]

The biggest advantage of having the print head in the ink cartridge is that they are airtight. the ink never dries out. I can't tell you how many cartridges and printers I've had to throw out because the ink dried before I could use it up. I only used HP printers (both ink and laser) for years. I finally found a Canon printer that has the print head in the cartridge and it was on sale so now I'm not exclusively HP.
By the way, I feel the same way about the laser printers that have separate Drum heads. In the long run, it's cheaper to have the printer head in the cartridge.

[Nate @ Feb 28th 2008 6:22PM]

I have had the same laser printer for about 5 years and have never replaced the toner cartridge. Solid investment.

[Jason @ Feb 28th 2008 6:26PM]

Ink jets are cheap... Easily replaced... Almost disposable. After my $600 Epson laser died after 5 years and I replaced it with an Epson 400 for $100 which last 3 years and I just replaced my HP 7620 after 3 years for another $100. I don't care... They're cheap and disposable. Makes it easier to justify the move to a better resolution and ink quality every couple of years.

[paul harmon @ Feb 28th 2008 6:32PM]

Hah! That's a DeskWriter, not a DeskJet, in the picture. A short lived product for the Apple Macintosh from the late 80's.

[Backlin @ Feb 28th 2008 6:44PM]

Been printing with a Deskjet for the past 10 years, I can't complain all that much.