File this under FWIW.

[Medley]

Wasn't sure which sub-forum to post this in, but the printing forum seemsed appropriate. The mods can move it as desired.

This was in our our local newspaper today. Thought I'd send it along for anyone interested:

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/i...vallis_in.html

- Joe U.

[Photo-John]

That's bad news for HP employees and Corvallis. I wonder what the problem is? Is it just competition, the poor US economy, or are people just printing less? The injet printer business has always actually been the inkjet paper and ink business. That's why printers are so cheap. I personally print almost nothing. But when I do, it's on an HP Photosmart 7960 - a very impressive printer. I think HP has done a great job with their high-end photo printers. And I wonder if the photo printers are a part of the problem or not. I'd like to see a breakdown of the sales to see where the revenue is coming from and which product lines are profitable.

Youu're in Hillsborough? I can't remember where that is. But I lived in Corvallis for a couple of years when I was a kid and my dad taught at OSU.

[Medley]

I wonder what the problem is? Is it just competition, the poor US economy, or are people just printing less?

I think it's a combination of all three John. "People are buying fewer printers, printing less and buying less ink from HP", HP Vice President Sam Angelos Jr. told employees in Corvallis, according to The Oregonian.

Add to that fact that G7 Productivity Solutions is releasing the 4X ECO ink(TM) line of inkjet cartridges that allows inkjet users to dramatically reduce printing costs.

link:http://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...B%7D&dist=hppr

The new cartridges include software that allows users to specify an "ink savings" of between 0 and 75%, then optimizes the print for those settings. At the 75% setting, an ink cartridge could produce up to four times the prints, and the cartridges are 40-60% cheaper than Mfr's suggested retail prices for their own cartridges. All this in an economy that has the average consumer looking for savings wherever possible.

So I don't think there has been any one thing that was a crushing blow. It seems more like a 'death by a thousand paper cuts' scenario.

Hillsboro is west of Portland, just the other side of Beaverton. Put another way, it's about 70 miles due north of Corvallis.

- Joe U.