> The printer space ripe for distruption. [...] I'd like to see a printer that isn't agressively marketing toner to me or at least offers it at a fair price.
Won't happen. If it does happen, they won't succeed.
The reason being that consumers are short-sighted and price sensitive. If they see two printers with identical features and specs, but one is $100 and the other is $200, they'll buy the $100 one before looking and noticing that the $100 printer requires $75 ink cartridges while the $200 printer can take $25 cartridges.
So printer manufacturers have to sell the hardware at as low a price as possible to compete with other manufacturers and they make up the difference in ink/toner. If someone tried to do what you're asking, they'd have to have a higher price to be profitable and wouldn't make any sales.
Or, if you're HP, you market something that seems like the best of both worlds, and then gouge the value in two years with a firmware update, and/or shenanigans with consumables.
Won't happen. If it does happen, they won't succeed.
The reason being that consumers are short-sighted and price sensitive. If they see two printers with identical features and specs, but one is $100 and the other is $200, they'll buy the $100 one before looking and noticing that the $100 printer requires $75 ink cartridges while the $200 printer can take $25 cartridges.
So printer manufacturers have to sell the hardware at as low a price as possible to compete with other manufacturers and they make up the difference in ink/toner. If someone tried to do what you're asking, they'd have to have a higher price to be profitable and wouldn't make any sales.