Why does HP produce so many different cartridges?

[Dmuennink]

Yes but every new car doesn't require a newly revamped battery

[DocAli]

Sorry your 1909 arguments no longer holds, as it is not 1999    print heads and cartridges are now separate to reduce manufacture costs but increase profit margins as the price just goes up.

It is 2017, ink is either of 2 types (yes different colours too) and you can refill cartridges!!!! there is a whole business that has grown up around around manufacturers increasing prices of ink.

The original poster and countless others have a good point. Given that a Cartridge is to supply ink - using your car analogy - the fuel. As petrol pumps are standard even with different fuels (to supply different cars), there is no reason 'HP' and other manufacturers cannot standardise if you forget profit and consider convenience. 

HP have small and large cartridges which is understandable. But the pointless recycle programme as it is cheaper to drill a hole, refill and put a bung in it (obviously to counteract this the manufacturer has introduced pointless presssureised systems and chips). They also have different cartridges per continenent without any difference in viscosity. Look at HP 951-954

The HP ink supply system is convienient for some, but for low users it is very pointless adn the fact the chips can be turned on and off is annoying. 

[victoryalways]

I strongly believe HP is very dishonest with the excuses they give for producing such great numbers of various ink cartridges, even for similar and contemporary printers . They simply want to make the most money from selling these cartridges and no one appears to be regulating them on this.

[victoryalways]

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@Bob_Headrick"While it may be technically possible to design a printer that could use a previous generation's cartridges this would be very difficult from a development standpoint and have very limited return."

This difficulty to produce that which is technically possible and more beneficial to the consumer still exists because the pressure for HP to do so is presently nonexistent.

[sean85741]

Bob_Headrick you had to ruin the "greedy" narative with logical explanations! I much prefer complaining about sheer number of HP cartridges types out there but you've totally screwed us out of that option! I guess HP isn't a greedy empire after all... lol

Cheers and thanks for the info!