Better compared to what? You’re making a subjective valuation that does not belong in economics. Just because you think that print cartridge ought to be less expensive doesn’t mean a thing, you cannot suddenly call an industry non-competitive because it does not give the results you want.
people have arbitraged this
the printer companies have tried to have them shut down and failed.
In a fantasy world without scarcity, you could have cheap printers, cheap ink, and fast innovation in technology. In the real world, there is a well known motto in engineering: “fast, good, or cheap - pick any two.”
I think the printer market is a good example of this:
Good + cheap: You can get a basic laser printer for about $200. It will print a gazillion pages per cartridge and last 10 years, so it’s the cheapest option.
Cheap + fast: Get a $70 inket printer/scanner combo. The ink will cost a lot, but you can afford a new printer every year.
Good + fast: Get an expensive laser or a higher-end high-capacity ink jet. My printer has XL size cartridges which last several times longer than the cheapo ones.
Some thoughts:
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To expensive according to whom? Clearly not the consumers who keep buying expensive carts
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If there is profit to be made in cartridges then there is more incentive to enter the market with cheaper / more innovative alternatives, which in the case of inkjet printers are: Compatible cartridges, refillable cartridges, refill kits, continuous ink systems etc.
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Printers are actually quite complex pieces of machinery. Stepper motors, complex paper feed system, feedback systems, piezo actuators .. all for what, £30? Inkjet printers are often sold as loss-leaders with the money made back later with consumables sold. So what? If you want cheap running costs, pay more for the initial printer and get a colour laser.
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The only problem I might see in this exampe is printer manufacturers using the law (copyrights, patents, dmca etc) to step on competitors who offer better/cheaper/compatible products.
If we had an economy based upon savings and not upon debt, things would tend to be far less disposable. We get cheap printers and expensive carts because printer manufacturers know people will have no problem buying a new one in 2 years, and people tend to be that way because the government (and the Fed) have done everything short of making saving illegal.