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    I must say that your service is absolutely exceptional and I have recommended your company and products to several friends today; all are serious "printer" people.I retired last year and my friends are all into, or are still working in the photo industry. Sincerely,Gerhard

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    Dear, just to let you know than i realy appreciate your costumer service.
    Thank you
    Denis

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    Just a Thank you and all the best
    Grigore

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    Ce message est simplement pour vous dire que j'ai bien reçu la commande XXXXXX et que je suis très satisfait de la rapidité de la livraison et aussi de la qualité de l'encre. C'est la première fois que j'utilise de l'encre "autre que l'originale" et pour le moment je suis très satisfait. Soyez certain que je vais vous référez à mes amis et collègues de travail et c'est certain que je vais commander à nouveau de chez vous. Merci beaucoup.
    Stéphane

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    Je veux seulement vous dire un gros merci pour la rapidité avec lequel vous avez traité ma demande et aussi pour le petit extra en papier photos,c'est très apprécié.

    Céline

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    I received my order, thank you for your great customer service..
    Judy

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    Hello:

    It is not often people write emails or letters of praise but consider this one of the rare ones!
    I must say, ordering your product was about the easiest imaginable. Coupled with the fact that it arrived here basically “next day” I am thoroughly happy. To tell you the truth, I was expecting to have to go pay full retail for one black cartridge thinking that your’s would take at least a week to arrive but I was wrong, the order arrived before I could even go out to get one!
    Congrats people, I WILL tell all my friends and neighbours about you!

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Printer Makers Clash Over Advertising Claims

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kodakcolorink Originally posted on PC World

HP is challenging Kodak’s promises that consumers can save money by purchasing a Kodak printer. Who should you believe?

 

 

HP is the most recent competitor to challenge Kodak’s claim that consumers can "save on average $110 per year on ink" by buying a Kodak printer

According to HP and an independent consulting firm, consumers would have to print four pages per day to save that much money with a Kodak printer–far more than most home users actually do. Last year HP lodged a grievance against the Kodak ads. In December, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that Kodak could continue the advertising campaign if it slightly changed the wording. As a result, Kodak’s revised ad copy now reads: "Save on average $110 per year on ink based on just four pages per day."

In fact, few consumers would ever achieve the promised cost savings. "You have to be printing 1500 pages per year–well above average for most people–to get the $110 savings that Kodak claims," Lippman says.

Of course there is a way to save on ink, and to measure the results yourself.

Buy your supplies from Metawatch, and compare the prices of Original (OEM) products for the same quantity you purchased from us per year.

Sure to bring a smile to your face…No duff, no promises, just plain results.Thank you for shopping at Metawatch Inkjet Supplies.

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Metawatch Expands Distribution Capability

Metawatch adds additional California Distribution Capability

Metawatch has been distributing products from 2 distribution centers in the U.S. for quite some time. Metawatch has now further expanded its operations to accommodate same day shipping for items across the U.S. with redundant depot facilities to handle virtually any customers supply needs.

Metawatch Continues to Support Legacy Products.

In this highly competitive marketplace Metawatch realizes that there are a significant number of users (Companies) using older technology products that continue to meet their needs. While other volume distributors drop legacy products like flies, Metawatch has chosen to continue to support these products as long as there continues to be a demand. Note: Shipping subject to availability.

Metawatch Quality increases referrals

Metawatch continues to monitor product reliability and customer warranty claims, as well as manufacturer satisfaction levels. Based on the latest customer survey(s) Metawatch Customer Referral base in increasing exponentially based on the reliability and value of products being offered.

Why are our prices so low ?

IF you can all remember the Hot Dog commercial . “More people eat them because their fresher” There fresher because more People eat them”.

Well the same holds true for inkjet products, the more we we sell the cheaper we can buy them. The cheaper we can buy them the cheaper we can sell them. The cheaper we sell them the more we sell. (Walmart knows this all too well)

Epson strikes back as Ink Sales suffer

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Epson strikes back at Calidad inks as Ink Sales suffer

“Tests show Calidad inks not suitable for printing photographs” screamed the headline from an Epson press release.Third party ink suppliers are estimated to be at approximately 30% of after market ink cartridge sales, printer manufacturers like Epson are waging a PR war against cut price competitors.

Razor Blade Model

As most consumers of inkjet printers probably know, printing manufacturers like Epson, Lexmark, HP, Canon that most inkjets now sold are more or less disposable products retailing at ridiculously low prices where they recoup their costs woth overpriced inkjet cartridges. Similar things are happening in the emerging color laser printer space.

3rd Part Inks Thrive

There is a healthy and growing market for third party ink suppliers which sell replacement ink cartridges significantly below the prices of OEM cartridges. This has the effect of eating into the after market ink sales of printing manufacturers and it also lengthens the printer replacement cycle as consumers will tend to keep printers longer if they can source reasonably priced ink refills.

Political Wars

Faced with a challenge to their business models by third party after market ink sales, OEM suppliers are becoming more aggressive in their anti-third party rhetoric.Epson warned against the use of third party inks in its printers with the release of “independent test results” which purport to show that one of Australia and New Zealand’s best known third-party ink brands, Calidad, has one of the poorest results for print life ever measured.

Epson Claims

“The Calidad ink cartridges appear to contain low-stability dye-based substitutes for Epson high-stability DURABrite pigment inks. The Calidad inks have poor resistance to atmospheric ozone that may be present in homes and offices, and the Calidad inks also give up waterfastness when printed on plain paper,” Mr Wilhelm said.

“When Epson users see these results they should be in no doubt that using third party inks in their Epson printers will lead to rapid fading and loss of their precious photographs,” Epson’s Marketing Communications Director, Mike Pleasants said.

“I am sure that no parents would want to give or receive as a gift a framed photograph of treasured children, friends or relatives, or that special occasion, that can suffer significant fading in less than a year,” Pleasants said.

3rd Party Manufacturers fight back

Despite the claims from Epson, however, the third party market has hit back with its own report which refutes any suggestions that third party ink products are inferior to the more expensive OEM products.

A new survey by Lyra Research and published in Recharger Magazine revealed that

48% of respondents who had used non-OEM supplies said that they have never had a problem with a non-printer-brand cartridge.
6% have had many problems, defined as more than 10 percent of the time, and
44% have had “just a few problems,” defined as less than 10% of the time.

Overall, 93% of color laser printer users and 92% of color inkjet users said they either have had no problems with aftermarket cartridges or have had “just a few” problems, according to the survey.

Hewlett-Packard is suing German inkjet-cartridge maker Pelikan

Patent Infringement
Palo Alto (CA) – Hewlett-Packard is suing German inkjet-cartridge maker Pelikan Hardcopy Deutschland. HP is alleging that the company is infringing on its patents and is seeking monetary damages as well as an injunction.

Replacement Cartridges
Pelikan makes new replacement cartridges for a variety of printers. The cartridges in question in this lawsuit are the Pelikan H06 and H08 color cartridges.

Not the First Lawsuit brought against Pelikan
This isn’t the first inkjet lawsuit Pelikan has fought and it was just two years ago that the company lost a similar lawsuit against Canon. Pelikan was ordered to stop selling Canon cartridges and also had to destroy most of its then current stock.

Other Lawsuits
It is no secret that printer companies make most of their money by selling replacement inkjet cartridges and HP has sued other companies in order to protect its market share. Last November, HP sued InkTec for patent infringement. In that case the company argued that InkTec infringed on the actual ink formula contained inside the cartridge.

Other Rulings
Back in 2002, HP won another lawsuit against Microjet, Cartridge Hut and other cartridge manufactures for selling refill kits and replacement cartridges

Canon Recycled Micro-chipped Cartridges

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Canon Recycled Chipped Cartridges

The Third party markets have up until now not been able to supply any Canon Inkjet Products that contained Canon’s ‘Chip”. Canon introduced approximately 2 years ago cartridges that contained a microchip that would indicate when the cartridge was out of ink and stop the printer from working.

Note: Epson has been doing this for years but compatible products have been readily available.

(Epson though has recently sued over 20 manufacturers for Patent infringement)

Third Party Market Resets Chip

According to a recently announced press release it is now possible to Reset Canon’s chip allowing for manufacturers to refill these cartridge and reset the chip. This in effect allows them to remarket used cartridges with full functionality (The Same as a New Cartridge).

PIXMA and MP Series

The cartridges in question are the PGI-5, CLI-8BK, CLI-8C, CLI-8M and CLI-8Y used in many Canon PIXMA iP and MP series printers.

Product Availability

Forecasts are the have these remanufactured cartridges available by the end of May 2007.

Open Market

As these cartridges are original (remanufactured Cartridges) there is no chance of patent infringement as they are not reproduced, just recycled products.

Ricoh release Gel based Printers

Gel-Ink
Ricoh has introduced a gel-based colour system instead of the familiar inkjet technology. This allows the devices to print at up to 30 pages-per-minute, according to the firm, and makes them an economical alternative to inkjets.

2 Year Warranty

The company is also backing the models with a two-year on-site service warranty.

Models

The new GelSprinter Aficio GX3000, GX3050N and GX5050N are the first printers to be launched using this technology, according to Ricoh. The A4 models are capable of producing up to 30 pages-per-minute in both colour, and black and white.

“The technology has the speed of a laser, but the purchase cost is closer to an inkjet,” said Ricoh senior product manager, Helen Berentzen.

Running costs are also lower, she added.

Pigment Based Colors

Developed by Ricoh, the GelSprinter process uses pigment-based colours that sit on the surface of the paper instead of soaking into the fibres. This produces a fast-drying and waterproof finish that does not smudge, blur or bleed, the company said.

Duplex Printing

It also enables duplex printing, allowing firms to save paper by using both sides, something that is difficult with inkjets. (Canon produces double sided inkjet printers.)

All three Aficio models support this as standard.

Swap out Warranty

Confident of the technology’s reliability, Ricoh is offering a two-year, on-site warranty for the new printers, and will swap out any unit that cannot be repaired.

“Not many suppliers are able to do this at this end of the market,” said Berentzen.

Doubling Inkjet Print Speeds

Silverbrook Research (Australia)announces a revolutionary Memjet inkjet printer technology.
With the new technology presented March 15th, 2007 by Lyra Research, They offered a glimpse of inkjet printer technology printing at speeds of one page per second. Rivaling/exceeding current laser printer print speeds.

Details to Be Released Global Ink Jet Printing Conference

The technology has not been publicly released . Kia Silverbrook, the chairman and CEO of Silverbrook Research, plans to discuss the technology at the Global Ink Jet Printing Conference this week in the Czech Republic.

Technology

The technology utilizes wider printheads (See Metawatch Blog Inkjet Speed Breakthrough ) 8 inches in the case for a letter-size printer eliminating the mechanical head assembly on traditional inkjet printers today.

Memjet technology also uses powerful microchips that reduce the time it takes a printer to process information, like photos, sent to it from a computer. These microchips allow for offloading the traditional CPU from pre-print processing.

Licensing

Silverbrook Research, an Australian research-and-development firm, has received over 1,000 U.S. patents in the last decade and more than 400 last year specifically related to inkjet technology, said Steve Hoffenberg, Lyra’s director

Silverbrook, Hoffenberg said, plans to license the technology to a series of companies it has set up that would then license it to other firms.

Home Based Products

Eventual products could include home printers, photo printers, wide-format printers etc. A home inkjet printer could be priced as low as $199, Hoffenberg said, which would include up to five ink tanks .Current prototypes show the tanks hold about five times more ink than the typical cartridge today.

A design for a photo printer, with a possible price of about $149, Hoffenberg said

Seeing is believing

A video of a prototype home Memjet inkjet printer at work is available online at www.lyra.com/lh3m.nsf/memjet or Google video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1996259363769507120&q=memjet.

HP Unveils Innovative Inkjet Supplies Strategy

Friday, April 27, 2007

More Inkjet Cartridge Options
(Media-Newswire.com) – HP is changing the way it delivers inkjet cartridges to customers to offer them more choice, greater value and a simplified shopping experience, both in-store and online.Beginning this year, most new HP consumer printers worldwide will be introduced with multiple inkjet cartridge offerings that are designed to provide customers with options that better meet their printing needs.

Red, Blue, Green Color Coding
In addition, the new cartridge options will deliver value by offering low purchase prices to customers who print a little, and lower cost-per-page to customers who print a lot.In conjunction with these new cartridge offerings, HP is rolling out a new color-coded packaging system across its entire inkjet cartridge portfolio. Three color-coded categories � standard ( blue ), value ( green ) and specialty ( red ) � will allow customers to walk into a retail store or log on to hp.com and quickly and easily scan their options to find the right cartridge that offers the best value for their printing needs. All three categories deliver the superior reliability and print quality customers expect from HP.

Whats Best for you
For the majority of new HP printers, the inkjet cartridge options will be: �Standard� cartridges ( blue packaging ), which have a lower purchase price, are designed for customers who print a small number of pages on a weekly or monthly basis. Beginning in 2007, HP will introduce an increasing number of standard cartridge offerings in the $14.99 price range for those customers who still want access to high-quality printing, but don�t want to pay a lot at the point of purchase. �Value� cartridges ( green packaging ), which are designed for customers with higher volume printing needs, offer a lower cost per page compared to standard cartridges. This line will include new high-yield �XL� cartridges that provide customers approximately 30-45 percent savings on a cost-per-page basis, print up to three times more pages, and require fewer cartridge replacements compared to standard cartridges. Customers can easily identify the new value option by looking for the green packaging and the letters �XL� next to their cartridge number. �Specialty� cartridges ( red packaging ), which offer additional performance features compared to HP�s standard ink formulations, are ideal for customers with special applications and printing jobs, such as professional-quality photographs. �

Multiple Options
For more than 25 years, many HP printers offered customers only one cartridge choice. Now, the majority of our printers will offer customers multiple options,� said Pradeep Jotwani, senior vice president, Supplies, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. �Delivering customer choice and value is critical for driving continued growth, and the unprecedented level of innovation HP is applying toward the customer experience is as important as the innovation behind the technology that goes into our high-performance ink and paper products.�Improved shopping experience To improve the customer purchasing experience, HP has extended its color-coded system to point-of-sale materials, such as updated ink selection guides. The changes will attract shoppers� attention in retail aisles and direct them to the appropriate supplies � helping to educate people about their choices and increasing overall customer satisfaction. Similar point-of-sale tools and the new look and feel will be employed online at www.hpshopping.com to quickly guide customers to the right supplies for their printer and printing requirements. Downloadable photos of HP�s new inkjet cartridge offerings, as well as a video showcasing HP�s retail and online makeover, are available online at www.hp.com/go/supplieschoice. About HPHP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers � from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world�s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $94.1 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2007. More information about HP ( NYSE: HPQ ) is available at http://www.hp.com.
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This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the achievement of expected results and other risks that are described from time to time in HP�s Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to the risks described in HP�s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended Jan. 31, 2007. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.� 2007 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Printing goes Wireless at Lexmark

Friday, April 20, 2007

Lexmark makes wireless printing AIOs
 
Lexmark is launching a new range of printers in the UK, with a new selection of wireless printers .

‘The company previewed the products at its Global Press Event in Kentucky, with Jeff Willard, vice president and general manager at Lexmark, and Jeff Meredith, director of product marketing, claiming the company’s new range will help consumers increase productivity.

Less than $100

The Lexmark execs said there’s been a surge in the number of homes with an all in one in recent years, largely due to increased affordability. Lexmark sees itself as central in driving this growth, having introduced the sub-$100 colour inkjet in the US in 1997 and sub-$200 all-in-one in 2001.

Wireless represents the Driving Technology

But wireless networking is expected to be one of the top drivers of productivity over the next five years, according to results of Lexmark’s 2007 Wireless and Printing survey. The company said printing has evolved, but wireless printers have previously been too expensive and complicated. In 2007, however, Lexmark predicts this will change.

“Wireless is the next big thing in inkjet printing and we will be providing easy-to-use and affordable wireless printers,” said Willard. “Lexmark will drive the explosive growth in the printing category and give customers access to something they previously couldn’t afford.”

Inkjet Printed Circuit Boards

Printed Circuit Boards

Well we have all heard of those electronic wonders called PCBs “Printed Circuit Boards”. Its the place where all electronic components are placed to make a working electronic device.

Inkjet PCBs

What are inkjet PCBs. Well as the name implies, the ink solution is replaced with a solution of metal salts and water” and print out an actual electronic PCB.

Leeds Leeds the way

Leeds University’s Seyed Bidoki was recently able to print out an actual electronic circuit. The mysterious “silver salt solution” and vitamin C mixture could be used to “pave the way for safer and cheaper electronics manufacturing,”

Environmentally safe solution

This cheap and easy alternative should certainly be a hit with the environmentally conscience crowd. This method utilizes a water-soluble base, which differs from the less green solvents used in polymer ink / graphite paste from before. Individuals working with the project admit that ousting the current regime will be difficult. The crew is non the less, pressing forward with this toxin-free approach, and hopes to elicit the help of “industrial jet printers” before long to speed things up.