Today, I have to do a very frightening thing. No, not restock the Tassimo stash. I know, I know, that's probably what you were thinking first but no. I have been quite good and, apart from lacking green tea discs (actually, if I'm going out anyway....) I have been quite good.
No. What I need is a printer cartridge. And I know how much it's going to cost me and I am oh so displeased. But I am out of ink. Not just low, OUT. My printer has been bleeping piteously at me for several days and every document is a gamble. But now, alas, there is no more blood in the stone and as I have printing to do, out I go.
I am interested in knowing exactly WHAT in that small plastic doohickey (that's technospeak, that is) that is worth forty dollars. Forty. Dollars. Of my hard earned money. And, as some may tell you... that's getting off easy.
Years ago, I went shopping for a new printer. Not this one, a predecessor. I walked into a store and asked for an inexpensive printer that would meet my needs. Nothing super glam. Preferably with color ink capability. And I was shown a printer for (I kid you not) $19.99. It was on sale and a relatively good make as I recall. I did a happy dance as my printer budget was much higher. Ahh... but then I asked the question. How much do replacement cartridges cost?
I was shocked to find out that they would cost in the neighborhood of one hundred dollars or more. Excuse me, what? How much was that again? I was told that this particular printer was being sold so that when it ran out of ink you. Threw. The. Whole. Printer. Away.
Now this seems ridiculous to me. More than just a titch environmentally unfriendly. Not that I am the greenest person around. But it seems to me that the idea of buying something and throwing it out when one part breaks or wears out is terrible.
A long time ago, people fixed things. Now, we throw them away. And our landfills loom and our air is poisoned and we can't figure out why the quality is so poor in the things we buy. But its simple. It's our fault and until we get over the idea that we need to have the latest and the best we are not going to get anywhere, no matter how good we feel for rinsing out a soup can and putting it in the blue box once in a while.
Needless to say, I did not buy the cheap printer. I went with another model that was about twice the price and began to shell out money every month or two for new ink. And felt a bit better about the whole thing. And will continue to do so, even as I feel the irony of brewing my Tassimo hot chocolate and disposing of the empty T-disc as I head out the door.
No. What I need is a printer cartridge. And I know how much it's going to cost me and I am oh so displeased. But I am out of ink. Not just low, OUT. My printer has been bleeping piteously at me for several days and every document is a gamble. But now, alas, there is no more blood in the stone and as I have printing to do, out I go.
I am interested in knowing exactly WHAT in that small plastic doohickey (that's technospeak, that is) that is worth forty dollars. Forty. Dollars. Of my hard earned money. And, as some may tell you... that's getting off easy.
Years ago, I went shopping for a new printer. Not this one, a predecessor. I walked into a store and asked for an inexpensive printer that would meet my needs. Nothing super glam. Preferably with color ink capability. And I was shown a printer for (I kid you not) $19.99. It was on sale and a relatively good make as I recall. I did a happy dance as my printer budget was much higher. Ahh... but then I asked the question. How much do replacement cartridges cost?
I was shocked to find out that they would cost in the neighborhood of one hundred dollars or more. Excuse me, what? How much was that again? I was told that this particular printer was being sold so that when it ran out of ink you. Threw. The. Whole. Printer. Away.
Now this seems ridiculous to me. More than just a titch environmentally unfriendly. Not that I am the greenest person around. But it seems to me that the idea of buying something and throwing it out when one part breaks or wears out is terrible.
A long time ago, people fixed things. Now, we throw them away. And our landfills loom and our air is poisoned and we can't figure out why the quality is so poor in the things we buy. But its simple. It's our fault and until we get over the idea that we need to have the latest and the best we are not going to get anywhere, no matter how good we feel for rinsing out a soup can and putting it in the blue box once in a while.
Needless to say, I did not buy the cheap printer. I went with another model that was about twice the price and began to shell out money every month or two for new ink. And felt a bit better about the whole thing. And will continue to do so, even as I feel the irony of brewing my Tassimo hot chocolate and disposing of the empty T-disc as I head out the door.
Comments
Post a Comment