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January 26, 2003 at 07:00 PM
Newest Printers Sport Any Number Of Features
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For years, people have predicted paperless offices would become the norm. But, the proliferation of product offerings–and the subsequent competition to keep features multiplying and prices down–suggest otherwise.
For one, Xerox Corp., Wilsonville, Ore., says it is seeking to drive the prices of color printers down to black-and-white printer levels with the launch of the Xerox Phaser 8200 single pass solid ink color printer and the Xerox Phaser 6200 single pass laser color printer.
The Phaser 8200 costs $1,499. It has a processor fast enough to allow for a first page out time of nine seconds, as well as speeds of 16 pages per minute (ppm) in fast color mode, according to company literature.
The Phaser 8200 uses Phaser 8200 ColorStix Solid Ink with shapes that provide no-mistake loading, according to the literature.
Its this solid ink feature that sets Xerox apart from other companies, says AJ Rogers, vice president of strategy for the office group, in Xeroxs Stamford, Conn., office.
“The ink is solid and molded, that way customers cant put the wrong ink in the wrong slot,” he says. “It makes it simple and easy for the customer. Our philosophy is making printers smart enough so [they] almost disappear.”
Part of this involves the printers color correction feature, Rogers says.
“About 80% of our customers never need to do anything to the driver, the printer does it for them,” he says. “Speed is another issue– being able to print at high speeds in color allows people to print more documents in volume faster than before.”
Ultimately, the printer can save insurance offices money by allowing employees to print more quickly, Rogers says.
If there is a problem with the Phaser, the printer itself communicates it to a server at Xeroxs Wilsonville headquarters. “Its a way of minimizing downtime and getting technical support at no charge for the life of the printer,” he explains.
This option is not included in every model. But, all current color models do have the option, he noted.
“We want to make it possible for our customers to do great work,” Rogers says. “That means to get high quality documents out very quickly.”
Lexmark International Inc., Lexington, Ky., recently introduced the Lexmark Z55se Color Jetprinter, an expansion to its line of high-resolution inkjets.
Lexmarks Web site lists the printer at $99.99, but prices may vary depending on where its bought.
The Z55se replaces the Z55 Color Jetprinter and features resolution of up to 4800 x 1200 dots per inch (dpi).
Key features for advanced users of Z55se include a maximum 4800 x 1200 dpi in black and color on photo paper, inkjet paper and transparencies, as well as 4800 x 600 dpi on plain paper.
Other features include Lexmarks PrecisionSense technology, which automatically senses paper type and adjusts driver settings accordingly.
It has print speeds of up to 17 ppm in black and up to 13 ppm in color.
The Lexmark Z55se Color Jetprinter is available at retailers including Comp USA, Staples and Dell. Corporate customers who prefer to buy through alternate channels can find these printers at Comark, CompuCom, Pomeroy, Boise Cascade Office Products and Corporate Express, said Lexmark.
John Salsman, financial services industry director, says Lexmark has an advantage in the industry because it is the only company that focuses solely on printing technology.
“We look at output in three categories: print, move and manage,” he explains.
The “print” category refers to the company making “world-class printers,” Salsman says.
