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

Issue #0813/1 - Lexmark is losing sales and income every quarter with revenue seen to have fallen steadily over the last four years. This month sees the release of the latest financials from the company (Q1, 2008) that reveal a staggering loss of 42% of its inkjet unit sales since the same quarter of last year and an overall decline in revenue of 7% to $1.18bn.

Issue #0808/1 - Following on from the launch of its stylish gloss black, mono laser printer and AiO products in the Autumn of 2007 (ML-1630 and SCX-4500), Samsung has announced a range of new products, including new colour laser printer and AiO family at CeBIT 2008 (CLP-310 and CLX-3170 series), that continues the theme of miniaturising colour laser printing while introducing the choice of black styling to fit any environment on certain product lines. Cost comparisons cannot be made at this time, so we review the new products briefly on the basis of technology and capability.

Issue #0808/3 - Both Staples and Hewlett-Packard gain from a joint recycling programme in the US because customers thinking of changing their old printer for a new, faster, more productive model that is (perhaps) less costly to run, will be drawn into Staples stores by the promise of $50 of their new printer – as long as it is a Hewlett-Packard printer and costs more than $159.

Issue #0807/2 - Kyocera is making aggressive moves in the entry-level mono laser market, raising its print speed from 18ppm to 28ppm with no price increase. Comparing the Total Cost of Printing on the FS-1100 with other 28ppm entry-level mono laser printers, places Kyocera at the leading edge along with Brother’s HL-5240 – but not quite in the lead.

Issue #0804/1 - Still heading downwards on a slippery slope, Lexmark’s latest financial results show exactly why the company’s strategy needed modifying, suggesting that further action is needed and that there may be some way to go before anyone sees an overall upturn, despite record results in some areas.