[inferiorhuman]

DRM in printer supplies is hardly new. The first HP printer with DRM that comes to mind is the LaserJet 4100. RFID tags and whatnot, they backed off and went with cheaper solutions with the 4200 series. I think Lexmark pioneered selling the printers themselves as loss leaders.

I think perhaps what's getting lost here is that in the consumer space printers are being sold on a razor and blade model. The printers themselves are loss leaders. Your $100 laser printer definitely costs more than the sale price to manufacture. Eons ago Kodak tried to buck the trend with cheap consumables and a printer more or less sold at cost. Kodak bailed after a whole five years. Consumers care more about up front costs than they do about the cost of consumables – as it turns out most people are terrible about long term strategizing.

[bradfa]

Kodak had some serious reliability issues with the print heads in those printers. I think that was more the reason that it failed rather than consumers not liking the up front price on its own. No one likes buying what’s supposed to be the premium model just to have massive print head failures render your printer useless.

[inferiorhuman]

Maybe, IDK. Inkjets have never held much appeal for me. That said Lexmark lasted way longer in the consumer space and their inkjet printers were widely regarded as crap.