HP looks for more cash from printing
THE MAKER of expensive printer ink, HP has been trumpeting a "world's first" web-connected home printer.
The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web printer comes with a 4.3-inch wide touchscreen control pad that allows the user to gain access to a slate of applications that are preloaded on the device.
Users can use the screen to put in addresses and get directions and maps from Google and can also locate movie theaters and print tickets. It will hit the streets with a $399 price tag.
The new Internet linked printer is a change in philosophy for HP, which wants to get people thinking about doing new things with printers.
If all punters are going to do is print their photographs then HP is not going to be able to make shedloads of cash from selling them ink.
But if it can convince them to use new services online then not only will they use more ink they will end up signing up for more services.
While HP has made a fortune out of printers and ink over the last few years, the downturn in the economy has meant that people and companies have been thinking twice before they print anything. Good news for trees, but not so profitable for HP.
In its fiscal second-quarter results, HP saw its printer division revenue fall 23 per cent with operating profit down by nine per cent.
Printer unit shipments were off by 27 per cent with commercial units falling 36 per cent and consumer units down by 23 per cent from a year ago.
This had a knock-on effect on HP's lucrative sales of printing supplies which declined by 14 per cent. µ
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HP printers used to be the gold standard. Not any more. El Junko.
Kodak is brilliant because there is no way today to get directions or print movie tickets without one of their new fancy printers. Oh wait, my PC will do that for the last decade.
The well of ideas must be dry at HP.
If people wanted to use a 4" screen to get on the net, they'd use their phone.
What HP & the other printer makers should do is move into 3D and object printers.
In Star Trek, the Ferengi like Quark [I like the character hate their lifestyle, but understood the perody] is what the computer industry is increasing its pressure economically to, that only the well to do will be able to afford.
This will abruptly hit a wall! Cyber elitism always undoes itself in any run.
The stuff HP is trying to put out is junk. What a dumb idea. I'm not going to buy something that I can already do and waste money, especially in this economy even I was still working I wouldnt buy it.
HP relied to much on there ink. Now it's costing them because they let new technology slide. That's why all the others are way ahead. It's to late HP you cant back 15 years ago in today and think your going to make it. This way your coming with stupid ideas. The other reason you laid off to many good engineers remember there are similiar compainies now. Your not going to catch up. What's done is done.