A number of readers quickly got in the spirit of my April Fool’s column on Lexmark supposedly introducing a "MarkedOne" automobile with some printer-like features.
"Not only must you replace MarkedOne parts with genuine Lexmark parts that have a genuine embedded Lexmark chipset, gasoline is only available for the MarkedOne from authorized Lexmark resellers, and is only sold in fuel cartridges that contain five gallons of gasoline," one reader claimed to have discovered. "Of course, these fuel cartridges are not refillable, and any attempt to do so will void the warranty and the MarkedOne will no longer start. The fuel cartridges contain an embedded patented and copyrighted Lexmark MarkedOne chipset that has a timer feature that causes the fuel cartridge to stop providing fuel when the expiration date has passed. The MarkedOne can hold up to four fuel cartridges simultaneously, but they must be inserted in pairs. If the timer chipset in any fuel cartridge expires it will have to be replaced to allow the car to be started."
"And while we're at it ... Lexmark dealers don't fix the car by replacing parts," reported another reader. "You have to box your car up and send it to Lexmark after first obtaining an RMA -- phone number not published -- and waiting weeks without a loaner only to find that upon return all the cartridges were ‘mistakenly’ omitted. You can try calling to get your cartridges back, but that will take additional weeks of frustration with uncertain outcome. Better to just buy new cartridges and pay the taxman ... I mean, Lexmark."
One reader suspected other printer manufacturers will be getting into the car business. "Rumor has it that in the spirit of competition Epson is ‘one-upping’ Lexmark by providing a three-cartridge fuel system with its new car. Now you have three cartridges to ensure your fuel consumption."
But some readers just couldn’t help but be serious. "What gets me is why this behavior is acceptable to computer users," wrote one. "These concepts are funny and ridiculous when applied to cars, but the exact same ideas are accepted and legally defended in the computer world. When will we, as consumers and voters, reject this state of affairs?"
11:41:09 AM 
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