Why are dot matrix printers so expensive?

[ShawnD1]

I was looking through the catalogue at Staples last weekend and I got into the printer section. Good ink printers are about $100. Black and white laser printers are about $200+ then there are dot matrix printers for like $400+.

Why are these printers so expensive? The resolution they had was just god aweful, like 400 x 320. They do not print in color. The technology is like 15 years old. I had a 24-pin dot matrix before and it sucked. It printed slow, the text was not black; it was dark grey, it was louder than a machinegun, after printing I would have to tear off the paper on the sides which is used to feed into the printer. If tearing was done too quickly it would sometimes rip the page and I would have to print that page again. I would even have to line the paper up with the print head after printing.


Why would they want $400 for a dot matrix?

[Cruez]

I would assume most are high speed, multiform printers used for businesses.

I picked up a couple that list for around $700.... (I didn't pay that)...

[CMonster]

"multiform printers" -Cruez

Yep. That would be the reason. Those other printers just don't do those carbonless multilayer forms....

[dr_roberts49]

a LOT of movable parts. A much more complex printing method, moving the ribbon, moving the pins, and moving the printhead. Open one up and take a look. There's still a lot of print jobs that only a DMP can do.

Robert

[John Prophet]

supply and demand also. You gonna tell me that somehow magically the cost for pc100 sdram has increased??? no, but the price has, lol.

I found some deals on a dot matrix for a friend earlier this year..have no clue where though. It was an okidata...someone had quoted him a price..of course I found it like $100 less or whatever....

maybe it was here? http://compudirect.net/oki/dotmatrix.htm

Of course with staples you can thro win the coupons etc.

JP

[Omardeth]

the cost to make pc100 hasn't gone up but they make less of it now . thats why the price is higher , the supply is lower but demand hasn't gone down as much as supply .