This post is part of our Hottest Products of 2007 feature. Also check out our other Hottest Products of 2007 posts and let us know which product you think is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

On his Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) show one morning, Howard Stern hypothesized that a vague loss of direction or sense of hopelessness is often the backdrop for someone getting a tattoo who wouldn't ordinarily have done so. (The shock jock isn't judging; he has at least two of his own.)

His theory rang a bit familiar ... when I was 26 (old enough to know better), I got some "ink" of my own. Two of my best friends were about to move away, my parents had recently relocated from our mutual hometown, and my boyfriend had unceremoniously ended our relationship. At the time, I had my lower back branded with the orange-and-blue "V" and sabers that trademark the University of Virginia, my alma mater. I did so while repeating three mantras I considered to be quite wise at the time.

First, my tattoo of choice wasn't a capricious decision ... I will always be a UVa alum, and I will remain proud of that fact. Secondly, while larger than I wanted (the artist talked me into a bigger size, noting that it would be "framed by my entire body" -- famous last words), it is in a spot not normally visible in the workplace or in a cocktail dress. Finally, as I flippantly told my friends and my displeased elder relatives, "When I'm 60 and ready to be rid of this thing, they'll have technology where I can just wipe it off, no problem."

It's amazing how cheap printers are these days. I have a Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) printer that prints in color and also scans and copies like a champ. And it cost less than $100 at Target. The only problem with cheap machines like this is that they start getting expensive when it's time to refill the ink. Of course, this is how companies like HP make their money: cheap hardware, expensive maintenance.

This strategy has invited competitors to take a different approach. Earlier this year, Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: EK) unveiled new printers that cost a bit more upfront but use much cheaper ink. Today, Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) announced that it will sell a new printer that costs more than a laser printer but produces color copies for the same cost as black and white. If you've ever had to buy new color ink cartridges, you know that this is a big improvement.

The new machine uses Xerox's solid-ink technology that reduces per page costs by as much as 80%, according to today's New York Times. Kodak has found that people print more when they know that pages, especially color pages, are cheaper. Some analysts are skeptical that companies are willing to abandon HP for cheaper color copies, and that HP's 40% market share is safe. But a test program for the new Xerox machine at a real estate company that prints lots of color brochures found that annual copying and printing costs were reduced from $1 million to $200,000. I think a lot of companies will have trouble saying no to savings like that.