I get what you're saying, but there's _always_ a cost. Big businesses have a vested interest in forcibly obsoleting old equipment - after all, HP doesn't make a dime on resold equipment of that kind.
That is an incredibly short-sighted view, but far too common these days. Once upon a time, HP had a reputation for making better-quality, durable hardware, that worked as advertised for years. That reputation translated into a premium they could charge for their products, like Zippo, Craftsman, or Toyota . (The latter even mentions the superior resale value of their products in advertising new vehicles.)
But when they pull a stunt like this, they tell the intelligent buyer that it's not worth it to spend a few more shekels on good quality; they'll just EOL the thing before the hardware physically wears out. It's almost like you aren't really buying a printer any more; you're leasing it.