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

Issue #0312/1 - Printing photographs at home on an ink jet printer is a highly satisfying, enjoyable and flexible way to produce hard copies of those treasured shots. Satisfying because you have PRODUCED the image, enjoyable because YOU have produced the image and flexible because you have produced the image – just how YOU WANT it!!

Issue #0311/1 - Continuity of hard copy availability and the elimination, or minimisation, of hardware downtime is critical in those business environments where hard copy is a core asset. Even where it cannot be considered to be a core asset, downtime can cause severe disruption to the workflow and untold aggravation amongst users – both to be avoided if at all possible!!

Issue #0311/2 - Kyocera Mita is now so sure of the quality and durability of its printers and copiers that it is rolling out an enhanced warranty offering across Europe involving a free 12-month KYOlife warranty extension on all but low-end models (FS-1010 and FS-1050 which have design life of three years), effectively taking the initial warranty to 24 months. In addition, whereas formerly the hardware could only be covered by a maintenance contract for a maximum of three years, now the company has extended that maximum to five years, meaning that companies can plan right from the beginning for a five-year period of ownership in the knowledge that all maintenance and repair issues will be covered.

Issue #0311/3 - Following the recent launch of its low cost entry-level printer, EPL-6100L (TCPglobal Issue #0302), Epson in the UK has now reduced the pricing on the rest of the EPL-6100 range by between 8.3 percent on the base model to 6.2 percent on the EPL-6100PS. Originally at the same price as the 18ppm Oki B4300, this price reduction now places the 16ppm EPL-6100 8 percent below the B4300 and almost down to the price of the B4200. Against competing 16ppm printers, the new pricing places the EPL-6100 competitively against all but the Minolta-QMS PagePro 1250E (7.5 percent less expensive) and the Lexmark E320 (9.8 percent less expensive). There are many 16ppm, 14ppm and even a number of 12ppm printers that cost more than the EPL-6100.

Issue #0311/4 - Canon’s celebration of the sale of 10 million personal copiers is market by the launch of two new products, PC-D320 and PC-340 digital personal copiers that are added to the existing product range. Making the usual claims for new products of ‘fast’, ‘high quality’ and ‘affordable’ as personal copying solutions, these devices are based on a healthy 14ppm print engine and, impressively, the PC-D340 features a 50-sheet flatbed document feeder that is claimed to scan documents at a full 14ppm so that there is no loss of print speed when copying. This feature causes Canon to claim that the PC-D340 is ‘the fastest personal copier in its class’.