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[HN] Requiring ink to scan a document–yet another insult from the printer industry
(arstechnica.com)
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Unfortunately, all-in-one printers arbitrarily demanding ink to perform non-printing functions isn't a new frustration.
Clearly, scanning or faxing without requiring an ink cartridge would improve users' experience—and they've illustrated that through class-action lawsuits.
Tying the scan or fax capabilities of the All-In-One Printers to ink contained in the devices offers no benefit and only serves to disadvantage and harm consumers financially.
However, tying the scan or fax capabilities of the All-In-One Printers to ink contained in the devices does, however [sic], serve to benefit HP.
HP in 2021, for example, said its Instant Ink subscription business was worth $500 million, per CRN.
In its Q2 2023 financial report, HP named Instant Ink a key growth area.
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