I don't know why they are booing you, you're right! If you don't want a printer that's a loss leader with expensive ink then buy a tank printer or a laser printer.

Cartridge based inkjet printers are almost always a loss leader and you also buy the part that does the printing every time you buy a cartridge. The print heads are actually on the cartridge, not in the printer at all.

Tank based inkjet printers are very different - the printer costs more but the ink is cheap. They also have no way of knowing what brand ink you use since it's just ink - not a whole set of print heads and a microchip. This is all because the print heads are part of the printer - not included with the ink in a cartridge.

Laser printers are also great but they get even more complex. They have drum units which can be part of the toner cartridge or a separate unit that needs replacing periodically depending on the design of the printer.