[legion]

Jeff, I have similar problems with HP printers. Considering that I print maybe 6 pages a year at home, I spend more time printing test pages than actual documents.

I've also noticed that HP printers will mark print cartridges as "used" when you put them in the printer. If you remove a cartridge and reinstall it, the printer will pretend it is empty and refuse to print. I think this is designed to prevent refilled/remanufactured cartridges from being used.

For the longest time, the business model in the printer world has been to make the printers almost free, then charge a small fortune for the ink. Manufacturers have gone to extreme measures to protect their ink cartridge sales.

Recently, Kodak has decided to go the other direction by charging close to what it costs to make a printer, then charging close to what it costs to make an ink cartridge. There is less incentive to undercut them on the price of ink cartridges, and less incentive for them to resort to questionable tactics to protect that revenue stream.