Yes. A generic drug will have the same chemical formulation as the original, but produced by a different process. A good example is Imigran ( sumatriptan). None of the generics are as effective as the original branded product and some (Dr Reddy) in our experience didn't work at all. The users experience of many generic drugs is extremely poor. As only some work correctly there are calls for all generics to be tested in clinical trials to confirm acceptability. Of course, this is further complicated by the supply of products which are totally false. The NHS suffered from this over the last couple of years as I understand it.
I can vouch for the fact that drugs made by different manufacturers have different effects. Going back to the late 80s, my dentist discovered that the only local anaesthetic that worked on me was the one made by Boots. The others that didn't work were supposedly the same.
The whole issue of generics is far more diffuse and complex than that. For one medicine, there are now usually four makes on the UK market. For historic reasons only, one is regarded as "branded" whereas the other three are often regarded as "generics".
However, at present the branded one is unavailable (from early last year). So everyone has to get a generic.
But, unlike some of the discussions over generics, especially from the USA, three out of four are made in the UK. All four are usually fully packaged in 28-tablet blister packs clearly liveried by each of the makes.
And, to stir it even more, one of the generics is actually made for the same company as the branded one, in the same factories, with the pills being 100% indistinguishable including the debossing. Yet, some people claim they are different - and I have no proof they are not beyond slightly-too-imprecise claims the company. (I am awaiting a final response from the MHRA and maker as to whether they are, or are not ,
100% identical.)
Among patients, each of the four has its own champions - some preferring one rather than another. Most at the least preferring to keep to the one they are on rather than undergo possible difficulties when changing make.
It gets even more odd. Until 2012 there were five makes. Then one was withdrawn from the market because it was shown not to be delivering the claimed dose (though the right amount was in the tablets).
When there were five makes available, the 25 tablets of three makes (the brand, that same company's generic, and the generic that would be withdrawn), were actually ALL the self-same tablet as the brand. Another generic is not made on 25 dosage.
How does anyone know all this? By reading, by communicating with patients, the MHRA, the companies.
We have a Lexmark CS510DE - only bought fairly recently. Fast. Duplex. Quite good colour. Networked. Surprisingly compact. Drivers for both Windows and OSX install and work completely without fuss. Absolutely excellent. The only downside will be sourcing replacement toner at some point...
For our purposes, duplex is really good. There are so many documents now produced as PDFs with "proper" recto/verso layouts that printing on one side only makes them look and feel crap. Also reduces the piles of saved printouts. Has almost nothing to do with saving paper - the usual reason put forward - though it does that as well.
For the medicine with which I am most familiar - there are only two 25 tablets available. One is/was sold under three different liveries (including a "generic brand" that was later withdrawn due to problems with their differently formulated 50 and 100 dosages) - two of which are "generic" and one is a "brand".
From all I've been reading the Brother series - 2240, 2250, 2270 seems to be one good one with user replaceable toner. A few youtube videos on how do replace.
Shirley you have been on the road all that time;?...
Well for some 14 odd maybe, more years now my Audi has been in the care of a small local garage who do sometimes use pattern parts even brake pads and discs and in all that time?.. Never a problem ...
Now they say that Viagra is off patent and generics are now available and as we're rather DIY here anyone have any reports with the original -v- the generic?.
Only the high end colour models. There are other Xerox models which are just normal lasers.
The solid ink Xeroxes do need to be left on standby all the time, a heater keeps the ink liquid, if you turn it off it runs through a cleaning cycle at every start-up that uses a lot of ink. When I did the calculations a few years ago the ink used in a cleaning cycle was about the same price as the electricity consumed by leaving it on for three months.
The heater fan speed controller in my old BMW is a source of trouble. It's a far too clever SMPS device. Lasts perhaps 3 years. The longest lasting one I've had was an el cheapo from Ebay. 1/3rd the price of the genuine item - and looked cheap too with a sort of fabricated rather than cast heat sink. Side by side with the genuine one, looks would say it was rubbish. But it's lasted well.
Seconded. Since moving to a (B&W) laser printer about 15 years ago I've had reliable printing at low volume. Costs per page are very low particularly taking nto acount the cost of "cleaning" associated with inkjets.
I've had a colour laser printer for the last 7 years. It also just works. The original colour cartridges were replaced about 3 years ago (at a cost approaching that of the printer, and the second black cartridge has claimed to be empty for at least two years but still prints fine. Cost per page ismuch less than teh inkjets it replaced. The biggest advantage is that it "just works" when required -- no cleaning cycles using up expensive ink, and no time wasted in soaking inkjet cartridges to try to persuade them to give out another page from theink still present.
Why not get a USB stick and take your printing jobs to the local library? A problem might come with Office discrepancies whether you are using Microsoft or Linux. The library is likely to be using Windows 7 and be networked to some very low RAM ex-XP machines.
If you have to put your work on a Word file to print it, getting images printed might be interesting. The stick might work directly on the printer though. Different libraries having different systems YMMV.
I had a fountain pen like that. I used to take it everywhere when I was at school. It was really faithful like that. Only if I put black ink in it aft er using blue it would clog up. Or it may have been the other way round or either way.
The only cure was a thorough wash through with water, but there were always bits in the system. The Low Tech just couldn't cope with it. I dare say th ings have changed these days but I wouldn't like to find out.
They do say that these days manufacturers put malicious code in but I can't believe they would do that to such a nice fountain pen as I used to have. Mind you, when I found some Hovis tins at a job years later the printing st ill came out good enough to eat on the white loaves we made in them.
Very odd, that. We never solved it. Anyone got any ideas?
I remember reading something about that sort of thing a long time ago. The chap investigated it and found the company used to put a chip in the cartridges to stop them working on different types.
I can't remember how he got around it but this was in the days before samizdat inks took off. Around the time of win98 and NT4 I believe.
I think he went to the bother of unwrapping the product and swapping them out and afterwards used a syringe to fill them. I always imagined he used to dart them in the foil but now I think he may have just put the needle in the ink nozzle.
I have a fairly new Epson XP-405 printer and have used compatible cartridges with no problems at all. I use them from "Hornsea" and find they are good value. One black ink will print between 150 and 200 A4 pages.
I need a new printer - I have 2 Epsons which refuse to work or recognise cartridges. Finished with Epson. I had good experiences with Canon compatible cartridges in the past, but both my printers' print heads eventually stopped working.
I just need a low volume printer - even just black would do as a standby if it always worked.
The main requirement is that it has to be able to use compatible cartridges trouble free so low cost upkeep.
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