In many industries, consumables are where the profits are for original equipment manufacturers (OEM). The classic example of the past has been Gillette, which sold razors inexpensively and made its money off of razor blades. The technology of today offers another excellent example, courtesy of ink jet printers. Companies such as Hewlett Packard and Epson offer printers at surprisingly low prices, but sell refill cartridges at up to half the price of the printer. That’s why there are so many sma...