Garoo 🧑‍💻16h ago

Wait, when did they start making reasonably-priced consumer inkjets with ink tanks instead of proprietary cartridges? 😲

Edit: Epson launched EcoTank in the U.S. ten years ago (couldn't find a date for Europe) but presumably they were expensive models back then, not 160 euros.

Show threadStephen Darlington15h ago
@ff00aa They probably found some other way to overcharge us. Propriety paper, perhaps?
Show threadGaroo 🧑‍💻15h ago
@sdarlington I know right 😅 It didn't surprise me as much when I first saw one on Brother's site, but Epson?!
Show threadStephen Darlington14h ago
@ff00aa Epson did used to be less bad than HP. Low bar, admittedly.
Show threadGaroo 🧑‍💻14h ago
@sdarlington Yeah definitely wouldn’t expect that from… huh, I hadn’t checked but turns out even HP has a “smart tank” series
Show threadStephen Darlington12h ago
@ff00aa I've seen ads for them. New, I guess?
Show threadGaroo 🧑‍💻12h ago
@sdarlington I expect they started out a lot more expensive, too. The cheapest Epson EcoTank seems to be 160 € on Amazon but it probably wasn't as good a deal in the beginning
Show threadStephen Darlington
@ff00aa I think Epson have been doing it for a while, especially on their higher end gear, but (guessing) the HP variant is new.
3:48pmWeb
Show threadGaroo 🧑‍💻11h ago
@sdarlington Oh right I lost the context sorry ^^
HP probably had to be dragged there kicking and screaming, yeah
Show threadStephen Darlington11h ago
@ff00aa After ending up replacing HP cartridges seemingly after every print, we recently switched to a Brother laser. No regrets so far!
Show threadGaroo 🧑‍💻11h ago

@sdarlington Oh same, I got a Brother this year, had a small Samsung before that for eight or ten years, it was great except when they stopped making Mac drivers and I had to plug it into the PC. But a few years ago I told myself I'd like to print photos so got a cheap Epson, used it a dozen times and it sat in storage for three years 😅

After twenty cleaning routines I've almost got it unclogged except for one pesky magenta nozzle 😒

Show threadStephen Darlington11h ago
@ff00aa Yeah, I always told myself I need to print photos/colour and so couldn't get a cheap laser. Anyway, on reflection, not true at all! There are photo printing services for when I do need to.
Show threadGaroo 🧑‍💻11h ago

@sdarlington I _suppose_ I could let go of the impulse to do everything myself 😣

(except PCB printing, that might be the single thing I have no inclination whatsoever to do myself)

Show threadStephen Darlington11h ago
@ff00aa That's probably been the story of my adult life: gradually dropping stuff that I long and incorrectly deemed critical.