Ink Cartridge Tips: Ink Cartridge History

Ink Cartridge History

In the bad old days (early 1980s), the world of printer ink was dark and uncivilized. Dot matrix and daisy wheel printers ravaged homes and offices everywhere, and monstrous laser printers wreaked havoc on free desk space and drained bank accounts.

In 1984, when all seemed lost, there appeared a new force - the inkjet printer. Led by a few brave companies such as HP, Epson, and Canon, inkjet printers began a direct assault on the forces of bad printing. Epson attacked with its piezo crystals, and HP and Canon with their bubble jets. A fierce war erupted, and at stake was the future of home and business publishing.

Over the next few years, inkjet printers continued to improve in quality and speed, as well as fall in price. Color inkjet printers appeared and joined the fray. A final showdown with dot matrix and daisy wheel was inevitable, and both camps prepared for the ultimate battle.

During the 1990s, inkjet printers came to dominate the realm of printer ink. Dot matrix and daisy wheel printers were decisively crushed and driven into exile in dusty corners and closets, or else thrown into trash bins. Laser printers, while still a threat, no longer ravaged the land unopposed. The Age of Inkjet Ink had arrived.

But change was coming. Within the last few years, two trends have swept across the ink cartridge landscape. The first is the rise of remanufactured and compatible inkjet cartridges. Small but determined companies are leading the revolt against HP, Canon, Epson, and the other giants of printer ink.

The second is the explosion of the Internet. Now buyers have more choices than ever before, and many are buying their replacement ink cartridges online.

The future of inkjet cartridges will likely be a promising but violent one. Ink cartridges will continue to improve, along with inkjet printers. The printer cartridge giants will not give up their territory easily, and many battles can be expected.

And now, the great powers of the printer cartridge world:

Hewlett Packard

Hewlett Packard, or HP, is a colossus on the inkjet cartridge battlefield. Started in 1939 in a Palo Alto, CA garage for $500, HP pioneered the development of personal computers (1968) and desktop laser and inkjet printers (1984), among many other accomplishments. It devoured Compaq in 2002 and now struggles with Dell for title of Computer King. Its armada includes the popular Deskjet and Officejet printers, along with copiers, scanners, and multifunction machines. Massive and intimidating, HP plans to crush its printer ink competitors with overwhelming force.

Epson

Epson is the strong printer arm of the Seiko Group (the watch maker). Started in 1961 to make precision parts for its parent company, it soon came to dominate the dot matrix printer market and introduced its 1st commercial inkjet printer in 1984. Its army includes the popular Stylus and Stylus Photo printers. Epson guards its ink domain jealously and keeps a vigilant watch on its rivals.

Canon

Canon keeps firing away at its enemies with high quality inkjet printers. Started in Japan in 1933, its original name was Kwanon, after the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. This was later changed to Canon as the company began to build its empire overseas. Canon's first products were cameras, and it remains one of the foremost camera makers to this day. Canon successfully expanded its electronic empire in the 70s and 80s, introducing some of the first inkjet printers, and began a long struggle with HP. Today, Cannon continues to pound its enemies with its inkjet cartridges.

Lexmark

This print-happy child of IBM was spun-off from its parent company in 1991. Since then, Lexmark has become one of the world's leading makers of laser and ink jet printers. Unlike some of its bigger and more diversified rivals, Lexmark focuses like a laser on the rough world of printer ink, and aims to burn its competition.

Brother

This Japanese printer manufacturer shows no brotherly love to its competitors. Originally founded in 1934 as a maker of sewing machines, Brother entered the more manly arena of laser printers and fax machines in 1987, followed by inkjet printers in 1992. A relative late comer to the inkjet cartridge war, Brother works vigorously to leave its competition in stitches.

Dell

Dell is locked in a life-and-death struggle with HP for top place in personal computers, but it's a new face in the printer cartridge battle. Dell, founded in 1984 by Michael Dell (obviously), is rapidly building up its inkjet forces to wage war on all that stand in its way to total ink cartridge domination.


Ink Cartridge Tips Printer Ink Coupons Remanufactured & Compatible Ink Cartridges Ink Cartridge Refills Brand Name Ink Cartridges Ink Cartridge History How Printer Ink Works Recycling Inkjet Cartridges Ink Cartridge Dictionary Site Map Links Link To Us	Ink Cartridge History In the bad old days (early 1980s), the world of printer ink was dark and uncivilized. Dot matrix and daisy wheel printers ravaged homes and offices everywhere, and monstrous laser printers wreaked havoc on free desk space and drained bank accounts. In 1984, when all seemed lost, there appeared a new force - the inkjet printer. Led by a few brave companies such as HP, Epson, and Canon, inkjet printers began a direct assault on the forces of bad printing. Epson attacked with its piezo crystals, and HP and Canon with their bubble jets. A fierce war erupted, and at stake was the future of home and business publishing. Over the next few years, inkjet printers continued to improve in quality and speed, as well as fall in price. Color inkjet printers appeared and joined the fray. A final showdown with dot matrix and daisy wheel was inevitable, and both camps prepared for the ultimate battle. During the 1990s, inkjet printers came to dominate the realm of printer ink. Dot matrix and daisy wheel printers were decisively crushed and driven into exile in dusty corners and closets, or else thrown into trash bins. Laser printers, while still a threat, no longer ravaged the land unopposed. The Age of Inkjet Ink had arrived. But change was coming. Within the last few years, two trends have swept across the ink cartridge landscape. The first is the rise of remanufactured and compatible inkjet cartridges. Small but determined companies are leading the revolt against HP, Canon, Epson, and the other giants of printer ink. The second is the explosion of the Internet. Now buyers have more choices than ever before, and many are buying their replacement ink cartridges online. The future of inkjet cartridges will likely be a promising but violent one. Ink cartridges will continue to improve, along with inkjet printers. The printer cartridge giants will not give up their territory easily, and many battles can be expected. And now, the great powers of the printer cartridge world: Hewlett Packard Hewlett Packard, or HP, is a colossus on the inkjet cartridge battlefield. Started in 1939 in a Palo Alto, CA garage for $500, HP pioneered the development of personal computers (1968) and desktop laser and inkjet printers (1984), among many other accomplishments. It devoured Compaq in 2002 and now struggles with Dell for title of Computer King. Its armada includes the popular Deskjet and Officejet printers, along with copiers, scanners, and multifunction machines. Massive and intimidating, HP plans to crush its printer ink competitors with overwhelming force. Epson Epson is the strong printer arm of the Seiko Group (the watch maker). Started in 1961 to make precision parts for its parent company, it soon came to dominate the dot matrix printer market and introduced its 1st commercial inkjet printer in 1984. Its army includes the popular Stylus and Stylus Photo printers. Epson guards its ink domain jealously and keeps a vigilant watch on its rivals. Canon Canon keeps firing away at its enemies with high quality inkjet printers. Started in Japan in 1933, its original name was Kwanon, after the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. This was later changed to Canon as the company began to build its empire overseas. Canon's first products were cameras, and it remains one of the foremost camera makers to this day. Canon successfully expanded its electronic empire in the 70s and 80s, introducing some of the first inkjet printers, and began a long struggle with HP. Today, Cannon continues to pound its enemies with its inkjet cartridges. Lexmark This print-happy child of IBM was spun-off from its parent company in 1991. Since then, Lexmark has become one of the world's leading makers of laser and ink jet printers. Unlike some of its bigger and more diversified rivals, Lexmark focuses like a laser on the rough world of printer ink, and aims to burn its competition. Brother This Japanese printer manufacturer shows no brotherly love to its competitors. Originally founded in 1934 as a maker of sewing machines, Brother entered the more manly arena of laser printers and fax machines in 1987, followed by inkjet printers in 1992. A relative late comer to the inkjet cartridge war, Brother works vigorously to leave its competition in stitches. Dell Dell is locked in a life-and-death struggle with HP for top place in personal computers, but it's a new face in the printer cartridge battle. Dell, founded in 1984 by Michael Dell (obviously), is rapidly building up its inkjet forces to wage war on all that stand in its way to total ink cartridge domination.
Ink Cartridge Tips Printer Ink Coupons Remanufactured & Compatible Ink Cartridges Ink Cartridge Refills Brand Name Ink Cartridges Ink Cartridge History How Printer Ink Works Recycling Ink Cartridges Ink Cartridge Dictionary Site Map Links Link To Us © InkCartridgeTips.com