Somebody else mentioned the security also... it might require reinforced glass and a concrete base..
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
no offense, but your poll isn't one of the better polls I've taken...
late in the poll, you ask "are you currently a college student"
Why not have that be the 1st question? Then, instead of skip to question 9, you can have them skip the poll.
What about people with new printers who haven't purchased a new cartridge yet?
No option available for how long it lasts in that case.
Also, given the number of options for cartridges, how big of a vending machine is this going to be?
"let's see, I need a new blue ink cartridge for my cannon inkjet"
Just for cannon, there are 5 or 6 different ones, for EACH color... that's 30 different ones for cannon printers. Then, we've got lexmark's varieties, HP's, ...
late in the poll, you ask "are you currently a college student"
Why not have that be the 1st question? Then, instead of skip to question 9, you can have them skip the poll.
What about people with new printers who haven't purchased a new cartridge yet?
No option available for how long it lasts in that case.
Also, given the number of options for cartridges, how big of a vending machine is this going to be?
"let's see, I need a new blue ink cartridge for my cannon inkjet"
Just for cannon, there are 5 or 6 different ones, for EACH color... that's 30 different ones for cannon printers. Then, we've got lexmark's varieties, HP's, ...
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Here's a better idea:
How about a vending machine that prints out papers for you?
Pay by the page.
(they already have vending machines that print out personalized cards)
To operate the vending machine, you can either: insert CD with file
Insert floppy (there are a few old computers that still use floppies) with file
insert dvd with file
download file from internet.
Cost: 25 cents per page black, draft quality
30 cents per page black, high quality
$1.00 cents per page with color
.25 extra per page for high quality (higher weight) paper
Ultimately, such a vending machine would be cheaper to operate...
Upfront costs (keeping it supplied) would be significantly lower
(no upfront cost of purchasing 200 ink/toner cartridges)
Problem: people damaging machine:
that's a problem with either type of machine
Benefit: higher margin of profit
(how many cartridges do you expect to sell a day from a vending machine? 3? 4?? That's probably it, unless your cost was very close to retail.)
Benefit: What do you do with the cartridges that don't get sold after 5 years? No lost expenses with printer.
How about a vending machine that prints out papers for you?
Pay by the page.
(they already have vending machines that print out personalized cards)
To operate the vending machine, you can either: insert CD with file
Insert floppy (there are a few old computers that still use floppies) with file
insert dvd with file
download file from internet.
Cost: 25 cents per page black, draft quality
30 cents per page black, high quality
$1.00 cents per page with color
.25 extra per page for high quality (higher weight) paper
Ultimately, such a vending machine would be cheaper to operate...
Upfront costs (keeping it supplied) would be significantly lower
(no upfront cost of purchasing 200 ink/toner cartridges)
Problem: people damaging machine:
that's a problem with either type of machine
Benefit: higher margin of profit
(how many cartridges do you expect to sell a day from a vending machine? 3? 4?? That's probably it, unless your cost was very close to retail.)
Benefit: What do you do with the cartridges that don't get sold after 5 years? No lost expenses with printer.
Spike
Diamond Member
- Aug 27, 2001
- 6,770
- 1
- 81
Yes, so does Epson. The canon are great if you do alot of photos like me as each cartridge can be had for $9 (unless you go generic, then it's like $5). With the i960, I just replace the colors that run out (photo cyan and photo magenta are the first to go). HP and Lexmark still have mainly 3 colors to a cartridge setup.
EDIT** forgot to add I took the survey. Though I just graduated, my wife is still a student and we live in campus housing so I figure it still mostly applied...
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Yes, cannon has some printers that take 1 cartridge for all three colors, and some printers that take 1 cartridge per color
Advantage: when you run out of red, but half of the blue and yellow wells are still full, you don't have to throw that ink out.
pre-eminent edit: I'm a man. There are 7 colors: ROYGBIV. Actually 6 because I don't know what indigo is; and v is purple. Cyan is 4/7 of cyanide.
I guess the best option is to only stock one or two major brands.. most stores don't stock all brands.
An interesting concept.. if you used a high quality color laser then you could do picture printouts as well
There are a gazillion different cartridges, probably at least 5-8 common ones for each of the big vendors.
I also agree that it'd be an awfully tempting smash and grab.
And if you have time to go buy an ink cartridge from a vending machine, wouldn't you pass somewhere on the way there where you could print your work out just as well? A campus copy center, computer lab, library, or friend's room?
I had a lot of late night emergency printing sessions, but rarely was I like "oh god if only I could get to an ink vending machine" - a 24 hour office supply store would be a lot more useful. The odds of carrying the cartridge that someone actually needs seem very very low - unless you are at one of those schools that tells all incoming freshman to buy some "standard" computer package.
When I was in school, I did most of my printing at the computer labs, where it was free, and we had a few that were more or less open 24 hours a day so the hassle was just getting to the lab. Otherwise if it was a real emergency I just would have woken somebody up and asked them to help me out. (although since I was the guy with a laser printer, usually it was people coming to me to print)
I also agree that it'd be an awfully tempting smash and grab.
And if you have time to go buy an ink cartridge from a vending machine, wouldn't you pass somewhere on the way there where you could print your work out just as well? A campus copy center, computer lab, library, or friend's room?
I had a lot of late night emergency printing sessions, but rarely was I like "oh god if only I could get to an ink vending machine" - a 24 hour office supply store would be a lot more useful. The odds of carrying the cartridge that someone actually needs seem very very low - unless you are at one of those schools that tells all incoming freshman to buy some "standard" computer package.
When I was in school, I did most of my printing at the computer labs, where it was free, and we had a few that were more or less open 24 hours a day so the hassle was just getting to the lab. Otherwise if it was a real emergency I just would have woken somebody up and asked them to help me out. (although since I was the guy with a laser printer, usually it was people coming to me to print)
5-8 cartridge types for 5 main vendors is not equal to a gazillion, and many students don't have cars that they can drive to a 24 hour office supply store (and why should they if there is a vending machine that is 2 blocks away that sells cartridges for their printer).
EDIT: also many schools are limit the free printing or even charging.
I'm almost done.. i've got 30 left to go (out of 300)..
anandtech effect doesn't just apply to hot deals.. it helps you with school projects as well.. sweet
anandtech effect doesn't just apply to hot deals.. it helps you with school projects as well.. sweet
I shouldn't have said anything.. the survey's have grinded to a halt.. haven't had anybody take a survey in over an hour... 
done
I just don't see the need for it though. I get cheapass cartridges online for like $5 instead of $40. We don't have an all night computer lab and the library closes at 2am, but I always have friends who can print for me late at night. Its just not an issue to me.
I just don't see the need for it though. I get cheapass cartridges online for like $5 instead of $40. We don't have an all night computer lab and the library closes at 2am, but I always have friends who can print for me late at night. Its just not an issue to me.
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