Well, they are at war about as much as two companies that sell printer cartridges can be. But they did do some verbal sparring on the mean streets of Twitter.
Things heated up a while back when HP called attention to Kodak’s marketing techniques and the FCC got involved. Kodak was claiming that using their printers and inkjet cartridges would save consumers $110 a year. After an FCC investigation Kodak had to change their claim to a savings of $110 per year if you print more than 4 pages a day.
So, what was today’s tweeting all about?
HP came out and criticized Kodak’s marketing claims and the quality of their printers. Kodak responded by trying to take the high road using the “shame on you HP” tactic. HP then followed up with “We are HP. You can’t possibly beat us.”
Here is where it gets interesting though. Kodak decided they would try to change the game by charging more for their printers and less for their printer cartridges (polar opposite to everyone else). Kodak must be making some sort of dent in the market share for HP to come out like this. Last time HP reacted, Dell was giving away printers with every computer they sold and gaining 13% of the market. Where is Dell now?
Okay, back to Kodak . . . Expensive printers, cheap ink. Kodak is now deviating from this philosophy and cutting prices on their printers. As of Monday, BEST BUY.com lists three Kodak multi-function printers for 25%-40% off. HP printers are discounted as much as 30%. Additionally, both companies are offering $50 trade-in credits.
As with most price wars, the consumer will be the winner (yeah for us!). So we’ll all be enjoying our inexpensive printers this holiday season, but wouldn’t we like to see HP and Kodak fighting over the price of printer cartridges? This all seems like a well played out scheme to sell more printers and then reap the benefits of selling cartridges for these printers. Let’s face it; cartridges are where their money is! So, if you need one, buy a new printer and enjoy the savings. Just remember, you will still need ink.
Let’s take a second to address HP’s claim about the quality of Kodak’s printers. A quick online search of printer users shows that most of Kodak’s printers are receiving average ratings (2.5 or 3 stars out of 5). I’ve read a lot about how pretty their printers look (they’ve done a very good job on design), but not much else gives a sense of quality. Most complaints focus on how loud the printer is, troubles with the drivers, and the extensive number of error messages. CNET really did not have much good stuff to say in their reviews. Their best summary, “Your money would be better spent on alternative multifunction printers.”
My personal opinion . . . Take advantage of this price war and buy an HP printer. You will definitely be able to get more features for the money you spend. HP has a proven track record and some excellent printers that will fit your home or office needs.
Kodak is an upstart. Not to say they won’t make a printer worth your money, they just have not made one yet.
If you’ve had an experience with a Kodak or an HP printer you would like to share, take a minute and let us know. Thanks!
________________________________________________________
Ads
Kodak Printer Cartridges
Shop for Kodak printer supplies
www.pacificink.com
--- Top Selling Printers ---
January 2nd, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Having owned two of the Kodak printers for well over a year now, I can definitely say I’ve saved a lot of money over the cost of HP ink while getting excellent quality photos that independent tests show will last a lifetime (and I didn’t have to resort to questionable “no-name” ink cartridges to save money). Plus, since all the Kodak printers use the same catridges, it’s easy to find and buy them when I need them. When my mother-in-law needed help with her Kodak printer, they responded quickly and patiently (she’s not a computer person). This contrasts to her earlier printer from Another Company where when a broken plastic part made the printer unuseable, she was told she was out of luck. From what I’ve read, Kodak may have had a few bugs to work out during the first few months of introdction, but in my experience these are now easy to use, reliable and inexpensive to operate with software that even a printer newbie will find satisfying.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:04 am
[...] Lexmark’s shift to the individual ink cartridges is interesting just in that it is a major manufacturing shift from the type of printers they have been producing. It really makes more sense that you would only have to change the cartridge that is out of ink instead of an entire cartridge because one of the three colors has run out. I am more intrigued by their black ink claim. They have proven they have a low price black cartridge, but they don’t tell us what the capacity of the cartridge is. How much less ink is in the 105XL versus the 100XL? Why is the 105XL only available for their more expensive printers? Maybe they are mimicking Kodak? [...]
January 4th, 2010 at 11:10 am
Photo Guy – Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with your Kodak printers. I am glad to hear they are on the right track and are saving you some money on your printer cartridges. I love the dialogue, so feel free to stop back whenever the mood strikes you.