TCPglobal - news, views and issues on total cost of printing

Issue #0909/1 – These last few months (end 2008/early 2009) has been a bumper season for printer and MFP launches, with at least 57 discrete models representing 21 families (see table below). Several of the new machines have already been mentioned in previous articles, while some more investigation of others will follow shortly. With the exception of three of the inkjet models, all these new additions are definitively business oriented, underlining the need for printer manufacturers to capture high volumes of printed pages by targeting business usage rather than consumers.

Brother has refreshed many of its inkjet All-in-One devices, broadening the scope of its new cartridge design and introducing more wireless models. In its laser range, all models are auto-duplex-ready, offering 30ppm print speed, a model with WiFi interface and a model with twin paper feeds. Only one model is not network-ready.

All three of Canon’s new inkjet AiOs are four-function devices, one of which is a budget device while another is WiFi and Ethernet capable. Canon’s new laser devices include two 21ppm colour MFPs, building on the MF8450 platform. Both offer network interface and auto-duplex printing capability, while duplex ADF (DADF) is standard on the MF9170. The LBP7200Cdn is a highly specified (but Host-Based), 20ppm, compact colour laser printer with network interface and auto-duplex unit as standard.

Dell has taken the Phaser 5550 engine from Fuji Xerox for its new 7330dn, a 50ppm A3 mono laser printer. Auto-duplex is standard, as is Gigabit Ethernet interface, and the device has a maximum duty cycle of 300,000 pages per month.

Epson’s AcuLaser M8000N is also an A3 mono laser printer, with a 44ppm A4 print speed and a Total Cost of Printing that Epson claims is “extremely low” (watch for a comparison in the near future). Ethernet interface is standard but auto-duplex is not.

Hewlett-Packard launched its new Officejet Pro 8000 series printers and AiOs at the beginning of March – a series that is capable of reducing print costs to business users by up to 60% over a laser AiO, see article, for more information. Due shortly is a further pair of Officejet AiOs, Officejet 6500, targeted at a slightly lower level of audience than the Officejet Pro 8000 series but also featuring four individual inks rather than integrated print cartridges. In addition, a pair of Photosmart fax AiO devices are due, featuring Hewlett-Packard’s new 5-ink system.

Konica Minolta has launched a more powerful version of its magicolor 4690MF colour laser MFP. The magicolor 4695MF still offers 24ppm print speed in mono and colour but has a faster processor, Gigabit Ethernet and PCL 5e/c, PCL 6 and PostScript 3 compatibility, together with options for expanded memory and 40GB hard disk drive.

Kyocera’s TASKalfa colour MFPs were the subject of the article, , while the new range of 5th Generation ECOSYS mono laser printers offers print speeds ranging from 30ppm to 45ppm. All are duplex-ready and all but one model are also network-ready. The FS-5×00 series of colour laser printers have had a very brief mention in a previous article but are worthy of a more detailed look shortly.

Lexmark’s new models, as usual, take up more space than any other manufacturer, with a bewildering array of product names for what amounts to one single family of mono laser printers, with three variants (n/dn/dtn) of each of three print speeds (43/48/53ppm), and two families of mono laser MFPs, one of which is based on the same engine as the printer range and the other offering advanced MFP configurations at 53ppm.

Oki launched the MC860 in January, a small-footprint, 32ppm mono / 26ppm colour, A3 colour laser MFP. See article, for more information.

Finally, Xerox’s Phaser 6128MFP is a five-function colour laser device (print / copy / scan / fax / email), offering 12ppm in colour and 16ppm in mono, with 10/100 Ethernet as standard and PCL6 emulation.

Apologies if any have been missed

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 18:19 and is filed under Hardware, New Products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.