UK petition to ban sale of chipped ink cartridges

[Highmac]

The British PCPlus magazine has a thread about DIY refilling of laser printers but it turns to inkjets and the chipped cartridges that cause any printer user so many problems. One poster has launched a petition to the Prime Minister calling for chipping of cartridges to be made illegal.

The petitioner puts forward a good argument about the amount of waste created with half-empty carts and perfectly good printers being junked because it's cheaper to buy a new one than replacement carts.

Sorry, it's only open to UK citizens, but I would urge any Brits fed up with the continuing battle against printer makers to sign up here and to spread the word on other computer forums and to anyone they know who uses a printer. The more names on the petition the more likely it is that someone just might listen.

[Gregg]

chipped?

maybe I'll have to check out that thread, later....

[gunug]

"Chipped" refers to it having a bit of a processor or something in it that knows when it's out of ink and refuses to be refilled!  So far I just boycott inkjet printers that you can't refill the cartridges on!  Let your money do the voting on this!

[daryl66]

QUOTE(gunug @ Apr 11 2008, 10:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"Chipped" refers to it having a bit of a processor or something in it that knows when it's out of ink and refuses to be refilled!  So far I just boycott inkjet printers that you can't refill the cartridges on!  Let your money do the voting on this!

 I purchased a "chip resetter" for 35 dollars (us)HERE several years ago and while I quit refilling the color cart(s)(very lightly used) it paid for itself the 2nd or 3rd time I used it with the black, and my epson 780 has been humming along for the better part of 4 years, requiring new fill about every 2 months.

Daryl

[Gregg]

QUOTE(gunug @ Apr 11 2008, 10:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"Chipped" refers to it having a bit of a processor or something in it...

And I thought it was some British slang!

[Xairbusdriver]

Apparently, these chip resetters are not as widely available outside the US? The place I buy my bulk ink (<MIS Associates>), empty, but chipped carts and resetter also sells the chips alone for carts that may have become damaged or lost their 'mind.' The chips are supposed to register how much ink is used at each printing (probably just counts the number of impulses to that cart). Of course, it doesn't really know how much ink was used nor how much is left (or right!). And you can be sure that the maker of the carts (and the printer, of course) are going to be conservative on the high side of 'empty.'

Anyway, I've been extremely pleased with buying bulk ink (8 oz bottles) and replacement carts with that resetter (works on both the R220 and the old 1280). Haven't bought a new cart since purchasing either of those printers several years ago (except for once when I had not yet received the replacement carts and ink).