Assholes & Their Printer Ink

Today my first year of college came to a close. For some reason, I feel sad. I should be happy to have time off, but instead I feel disappointed that it's over for now. The year itself seemed to go by way too fast. I've learned a lot since I've started this course, but it feels like yesterday I was sitting down for the first time in a room filled with nameless faces. Only two more years left to go and next year is going to be tough. Perhaps I should take this time to enjoy myself. Anyhow, the main reason for this post is to complain about printer ink. A worthy cause to complain about, no? Oui, oui!

Today I needed to refill my printer ink. However, I learned that the cartridges that came with my Lexmark are single-use, meaning there's a chip in the damn thing designed to stop functioning after a fixed amount has been dispensed. It's no secret companies like to nickel and dime their consumers whenever possible. I bought this printer for 80-bucks Canadian, which is a good price, but they don't make money on the sale of hardware. They make up for it by charging unfair prices on their perishable items, like cartridges. How much does ink really cost and the plastic molding needed to put it in? I'll probably do some research and come back to answer that.

I soon found out Lexmark offers refillable cartridges, which are supposedly purchased at a local retailer. Think I could find anything of the sort? Of course not. So now I'm stuck with a new colour cart that cost $31, when a refill would have been $15. If I wanted to buy a pair of black and colour cartridges, it would cost roughly $70 with taxes. For 10-bucks more I can buy a brand new printer that is probably better than my current one. A crime? I think so. A damn shame? I believe even more so.

I would like to take the main headquarters for Lexmark and give it a mighty beat down. Not on the scale of Zeus, but beatings a mere mortal could dispense. Just stomp it into the ground and take a baseball bat to it for good measure. Afterward, there would be a party in someone's apartment. This sounds oddly familiar actually....