Scoot over and make room for another member of the green-trend bandwagon; Samsung just threw itself into the mix. Today, it announced its PrintCycle program aimed at businesses looking to get eco-friendly. The basic premise comes from the idea that the quality of a workhorse printer dwindles over time. Most people conjure images of a certain scene from Office Space when they're ready to dispose of their units, but Samsung's offering a better solution: Get a new printer on the vendor's bill.
Here's the plan: three years after your initial purchase date, Samsung will come break into your office in the middle of the night, steal your clunker on the verge of obsolescence and replace it with an up-to-date unit of equal (or most likely lesser) quality...just be sure to crack a window for 'em. Sound good?
OK, that's more of a half-truth. The program actually runs on a trade-in-by-mail-in process, similar to a warranty replacement, if you've ever done one of those. They'll send you a new printer with an RMA and instructions on how to ship your paperweight back to them. At this time, we have no idea what they're planning on doing with the old printers. After only three years, your machine should be in relatively decent condition, right? I'd love to see them partner with Nicholas Negroponte of One Laptop per Child and donate them to children around the world.
The printers that currently fall under the PrintCycle umbrella are:
- CLP - 610ND Color Laser Printer
- CLP - 660ND Color Laser Printer
- ML - 3471ND Monochrome Laser Printer
- ML - 2851ND Monochrome Laser Printer
- ML - 4551DR Monochrome Laser Printer
- CLX - 6210FX Color Multifunction Printer
- CLX - 6240FX Color Multifunction Printer
All other models will be subject to Samsung's equally marketable "You Need It, You Buy It" program.*
*not a real program