Xerox to mark anniversary of first copier

On Friday, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns will host a reunion of retirees who were involved with the development of the Xerox 914 , which made photocopying cheap, easy and ubiquitous.

The copier also helped make what is now known as Xerox Corp. — a Connecticut-based Fortune 500 firm that employs close to 7,000 in the Rochester area and 54,000 worldwide.

The reunion will be held at the company’s Webster campus. The Rochester-based Haloid Xerox unveiled the product at a New York City trade show on Sept. 16, 1959. And the company began turning out the 600-pound pieces of equipment from a factory on Orchard Street on city's northwest side, with the first reaching customers in early 1960.

Fuji Xerox and Xerox roll out new global product design

Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. and Xerox Corporation will begin the worldwide introduction of a next-generation product design, based on the new Xerox brand identity adopted in 2008. The new design, which was developed by Xerox in cooperation with Fuji Xerox, will be applied first to the new ApeosPort-IV and DocuCentre-IV series digital multifunction devices, launched on August 28 in Japan and now available in the Philippines.

The new design will be universally applied to the Xerox brand product lineup worldwide, from digital multi-function devices to office printers and high-end production printers, as well as to operation screens of application software.

The main concepts for the new-generation product design include:
– Visually friendly "3D Box" design that highlights the user operation area
– Simple design form that subdues areas other than the operation area
– User and IT friendly UI screen (also applied to software)
– Presentation that embodies the spirit of the new Xerox brand identity

Through these changes, Fuji Xerox and Xerox are reflecting the spirit of the Xerox brand with exclusive and highly appealing design elements that differentiate the brand and its products not only in the marketplace but also in customers office settings where they are a daily part of simplifying the way work gets done.

Ricky Munoz, Fuji Xerox Philippines marketing communications head, said “Our customers will surely be delighted with this design innovation that enhances user experience with our popular Apeos IV and Docucentre IV printing devices.”

-=Cheers=-

New Xerox Document Centre models "In Review"

Fuji, maker of most Xerox MFPs, announced that it will launch a slew of new models that incorporate a new design and color them. Tentative details on the new Xerox Document Centre models:

- main body is still off-white plastic, but center of unit, including shell around keyboard and paper output area will be in dark blue, called the “3D Box” design
- large full color LCD, with large buttons and icons for functions
- entire LCD turns red when a problem occurs
- motion video on LCD to guide end user in paper jam removal
- access Internet from LCD
- will incorporate the new Xerox “ball with X on it” logo
- Models numbers now being used in Japan for new color MFPs are C2270, C3370, C4470 and C5570 :
- 22ppm, 33ppm, 44ppm and 55ppm top speeds respectively
- All use LED printhead instead of Laser
- 4 tandem OPC drum design
- Emulsion Aggregate (EA) polymerized toner
- some models have built-in LCD, others have LCD on armature to left side
- All have “hole in the middle” design
- Advertised as offering 1200x2400 dpi (actual is 600x600dpi for top speed, and then 1200x1200dpi in half speed mode)
- only 600x600dpi in copy mode
- Does NOT offer true 8 bits per pixel image quality
- Built-in print controller
- PCL & PostScript print drivers
- 1.5GB RAM
- 40GB hard drive
- USB and 10/100/1000BaseT ports
- USB port is located on front control panel for easy access for end user to print from thumb drive, or scan to thumb drive
- Optional fax board
- Fuser uses induction heating instead of fuser heat lamps
- auto duplex standard
- Comes standard with two paper drawers
- User can add two more paper drawers, and/or side mount LCT (letter size only)
- paper path is up the left side of the unit, and output to the right
- maximum paper size of 12”x18” from bypass
- Up to 256gsm from paper drawers, and up to 280gsm from bypass
- Document feeder holds up to 100 originals and scans up to 70opm
- Finishing options include:
- internal stapling finisher
- side-mounted stapling finisher
- hole punch
- booklet making with tractor feed output

-=Good Selling=-

Xerox WorkCentre 7400 series "Spec" Review

More info on the new color MFPs from Xerox, the WorkCentre 7400 series:

- Model 7425 offers 25ppm b/w and 20ppm color for $10,799 base MSRP
- Model 7428 offers 28ppm b/w or color for $11,899 base MSRP
- Model 7435 offers 35ppm b/w or color for $13,799 base MSRP
- Maximum monthly duty cycles of 60K, 80K & 105K respectively
- Print-only version called Phaser 7500, and offers 35ppm b/w or color for $2999 base MSRP
- Use a color LED engine instead of laser
- LED print head has 1200 diodes per inch for a total of 14,592 diodes across the array
- 4 tandem OPC drum design with polymerized toner
- Advertised as offering 1200x1200dpi print resolution (but does not offer true 8 bits per pixel)
- 600x600dpi copy resolution
- Comes standard with 120 sheet stack bypass and 500 sheet paper drawer
- Optional document feeder holds up to 75 originals
- Up to 12”x18” paper handing
- Standard print/scan controller
- 667MHz processor
- 1.5GB RAM
- 40GB hard drive
- PCL, XPS & PostScript print drivers standard
- 8.5” color LCD touch screen control panel
- Optional fax board
- Black toner yield of 26,000 pages (based on 5% coverage per page)
- Color toners yield of 15,000 pages each
- Optional finishing including stapling, booklet-making, hole-punching, v-folding
- Optional EFI Fiery for $4195
- Suggested cost per page is 1 cent for b/w and 7-8 cents for color clicks

Central Press Goes Digital with Xerox DocuColor 700

Central Press, Jordan, selected Xerox DocuColor 700 at the Gulf Print 09 show held recently to avail of advanced digital production printing capabilities.

Xerox the leading document management technology and services enterprise announced today the sale of the Xerox DocuColor 700 Digital Press to Central Press, the leading printing house in Jordan, during the recently held Gulf Print 09. Central Press was established in the early fifties and from the outset the company used only the latest in print production solutions to ensure high quality printing and customer satisfaction. This approach hasn't changed to date with the latest acquisition of the Xerox DocuColor 700.

Central Press decided to invest in the Xerox DocuColor 700 in answer to the increase in demand from customers in Jordan looking for digital print material.

Commenting on the sale Tim Gould, XeroxXerox Global Services & Production GM, Xerox Middle East & AfricaXerox Middle East & Africa Region, DMO said: "We are delighted that Central Press has selected the Xerox DocuColor 700 to ensure the continued provision of the highest quality and most innovative print and production services to their growing customer base."

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New Color Laser MFP from Fuji Xerox

Fuji of Japan announced a couple new color laser MFPs, that may show up in the U.S. under the Xerox name:
- DocuCentre C1101
- 16ppm full color or b/w
- Uses “Imari” 4 drum engine, which is also found in many current Xerox color MFPs
- Fully loaded MSRP of $12,310
- DocuColor 5151
- 51ppm color or b/w
- Based on engine used in current Xerox DocuColor 242, 252, etc.
- Fully loaded MSRP of $73,400.00.

Xerox Invents Reusable Paper that Uses UV Light for "Ink"

Now this is really cool, and makes sense. Which leads me to a few questions:

• How much would the paper cost?


• How much do the printers cost?


• How many times can I use the same sheet of paper?


• How much will I glow at night from using the paper and printer?
  

(NaturalNews) Xerox subsidiary Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) has developed a type of paper that, combined with a special printer, can print documents that erase themselves after a day so that the paper can be reused.

Xerox says that 25 percent of all documents get recycled the same day they are printed, and that 44.5 percent are intended only for a single viewing. Using the new printer and paper for one-shot documents like daily menus, work summaries and office memos could vastly reduce paper and energy use, the company said.

"Think of the Google map you printed to get here," PARC Area Manager Eric Shrader said at a product demonstration. "Thirty years ago, we said the future was paperless."

"Despite our reliance on computers to share and process information, there is still a strong dependence on the printed page for reading and absorbing content," said Paul Smith, manager of Xerox's new materials design and synthesis lab.

The new paper is coated with a chemical that turns dark upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In order to create a document, the printer simply bombards the paper with UV radiation in the appropriate places.

While the "ink" will eventually fade on its own, after 16 to 24 hours, the printer can also be used to erase a page and print something new. Tests by Xerox found that if it was not torn or crumpled, a single piece of paper could be put through the print-and-erase cycle hundreds of times.

According to Shrader, it takes 204,000 joules of energy to create a new piece of paper and 114,000 to recycle one. Printing onto a normal sheet of paper uses about 2,000 joules.

It takes only 100 joules to print one page of the special erasable paper. If the printer also has to erase the prior image, printing uses about 1,000 joules of energy.

The erasable paper and ink are available in a variety of colors. Xerox expects to take the new product commercial within the next few years.

MFP Wars "Rise of the A4's"

Not since Minolta incorporated the first zoom lens in a copier will there be a more sweeping change in the MFP landscape! I've been on this kick for over two years, when HP launched the first A4 MFP!

Whats Hot!!! A4 MFP devices, what is an A4 MFP? A4 actually represents the paper size that can be reproduced on the system. A4 devices will print, copy, fax and scan letter & legal size. A3 devices will print, copy, fax and scan letter, legal and ledger size.

Gartner predicts that A4 print centric devices will emerge as the preferred device for distributed print needs in a report dated December of 2007. Heck, I could have told then that back in 2006. Make no bones about it A4's are here to stay and A3's will be a niche market for some manufacturers, what I really can't figure out is why companies like Ricoh, Xerox, Canon, KonicaMinolta and a few others have ignored this tremendous opportunity to garner clicks?

So, who has A4 devices (35ppm and above) on the market now? As of right now there are only a handful. HP and Samsung have thier own devices, while Muratec, Xerox and Nashua have relabeled the Samsungs. Samsung recently introduced a 55ppm and a 40ppm color A4 MFP. Word on the street is that Muratec will be picking up both of these boxes.

In May of 2007, Sharp announced that they will bring to market an entire line of A4 devices code named Frontier. Kudos, they will be the first manufacturer to have a complete line. In talking to a friend at SBS, I was told that these devices are ready to go and just waiting for the initial launch.

So, whats not to like about A4, well its certainly not the price. An A4 45 ppm system that will copy, print, scan and fax can be purchased for under $5,000. Compare that to a traditional A4 device will run you twice that!

Some have asked where the sweet spot is for A4 vs A3 devices. As of right now, A3 devices have a much lower cost per page. The sweet spot depends on where your monthly volume falls, as of right now 10,000 or less a month will save you money over the traditional A3 (even with the lower cost per page).

Speaking about lower per page costs, I've said it before and will say it again. The first manufacturer that comes to market with and A4 with the cost per page of an A3 device will dominate the market. Savvy reps will instantly sell the TCO advantages, with that the HP and Samsung devices will be short lived. Typically, an A4 device will have a mono cost per page around .015 compared to current A3 devices that average .009. It's not uncommon to see A3's at even lower cost depending on the monthly volume. The higher the volume the lower the cost per page.

Here's an except from a brochure for a popular A4. "When compared to the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) of a general A3 multifunctional TCO, at an average of 10,000 pages per month, can result in one of the lowest running costs in its class.

Infotrends reports, “We believe that the role of workgroup A4 MFPs will grow strongly, pulling A4/letter size pages away from A3 copiers and MFPs, thereby weakening the demand for these larger devices,” commented Bob Leahey, an Associate Director at InfoTrends. “A3 devices will remain vital in the U.S., but the push by major suppliers of workgroup A4 alternatives is having an effect on decision-making regarding office equipment purchases at U.S. companies. Because of this impact and other factors, A3-format technology will represent a declining share of the installed base of U.S. office equipment over the next several years.”

All hail the rise of the A4!

Keiger Printing Inks First Order for Xerox iGen4 in North America

Here's one from the very highend, as of right now there is no growth in the middle. Just the very low and the very high end. Congrats on your purchase!!!

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The new Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) iGen4™ Press is headed for Keiger Printing Company in Winston-Salem, N.C., marking the first installation in North America. The breakthrough digital press - announced in Germany at drupa 2008 in May - is now available for delivery to print providers worldwide.

"We want to be the first in the country to offer our customers the best solution to their business needs" said Louis Crockett, president of Keiger Printing. "Every high-quality color print that comes off of the iGen4 will help set us apart from our competition. This purchase will change our business"

Keiger Printing, historically an early adopter of new technology, installed a Xerox iGen3™ 110 Digital Production Press three years ago. "The iGen3 press helped propel our company. The iGen4 takes everything to the next level and redefines the standards of digital printing" said Crockett.

According to Crockett, color consistency and predictability are critical to his customers and that with the Xerox iGen4, repeat jobs will always look the same. The iGen4 creates offset and photo-quality images with consistent color from the first print to the last. There are more than 400 new parts and subsystems as well as new patented technologies that help the iGen4 generate its high-definition image quality.

Crockett said he expects productivity to increase 25 to 35 percent with the iGen4 through the automation of operator tasks, such as not needing to stop the machine to replace developer with the new Carrier Dispensing System. "Time is money, but it is only revenue if you are producing" added Crockett.

By automating operator tasks on the iGen4, the need to stop the press for adjustments is greatly reduced. As a result, overall operating costs decrease and the break-even point improves between digital and traditional offset printing. "With the iGen4, it is faster and more economical to print jobs digitally" said Crockett.

He also praised a feature, Auto Density Control, which automatically detects and adjusts for density variations while the press is in use, virtually eliminating streaks. Keiger Printing will use the CX Color Server powered by Creo with its iGen4.

Running at 110 pages per minute, the iGen4 is ideal for producing high-end collateral, direct marketing and photo specialty products - jobs that typically generate the most profits for print providers.

The iGen4 is the latest addition to Xerox’s industry-leading production digital portfolio, following the revolutionary Xerox iGen3, which led the industry into a new age of digital color printing.

Xerox is also now shipping the Automated Color Quality Suite Press Matching System, for new and existing customers of the Xerox iGen3 presses, offering high performance plus quality that matches offset printing. These enhancements enable faster press set-up, quicker time to production, greater color stability and automated Pantone color matching, perfect for producing applications from personalized direct mail and catalogs to marketing collaterals and photo books.

Keiger Printing, a family-owned business for 65 years, has long been at the forefront of technology and creativity in the printing industry. The company entered digital printing in 1993 with a Xerox DocuTech™ and in 2007 won the coveted Best of Show prize at the annual Printing Innovation with Xerox Imaging (PIXI) awards. The company, a Xerox Premier Partner, prints all types of applications from business cards to high-quality books for university art departments.

The iGen4 will make its U.S. debut to the public at Graph Expo 2008, the nation’s largest annual printing show, Oct. 26-29 in Chicago. The press will be on display in Xerox’s booth, No. 1219. The iGen4 has a U.S. list price of $640,000.

Samsung Deals another Blow to MFP Giants (Ricoh, Canon, KonicaMinolta)

You here it from me over and over, A4 devices are the way to go!

Samsung has launched their 6555N Multifunctional System, a 55 page per minute device that incorporates a 7" LCD display, 1200x1200 dpi, max paper capacity of 3,240 sheets. The system will color scan out of the box along with an FCOT of 5 seconds, a FPOT of 8 seconds and a max monthly volume rating of 250,000 pages per month. Optional sorter/stapler, fax module and three additional paper trays are available. Get this, the MSRP is $3,995!!



First glimpse tells me that this system is based on the 6354n (45ppm) device, Samsung has changed from older the mono 7" screen to a color 7" screen and beefed the speed from 45 pages per minute to 55 pages per minute. From the picture it seems like the document feeder may have been changed also, not sure, I'll have to wait until I see one of these bad boys.


No 11x17 capability, but who the heck needs 11x17 anymore! Personally, I think the MSRP is two low. It should be more like $6,995, thus allowing dealers and salespeople the opportunity to upgrade older A3 devices to SCX-6555N. I have a few 6345N's in the field generating an average of 8,000 pages per month and no reported problems.


What's next for Sammy a 75ppm device, maybe 85ppm, are all of the A3 devices made by the likes of Ricoh, Canon, Fuji Xerox, KonicaMinolta overpriced? It all depends on if you need 11x17 to print copy or scan. Fact is, Sammy has plans on 75, 90 & 110 ppm systems!


Realizing, that the cost per page of the SCX-6555N is twice that of a 55ppm A3 device. The SCX-6555N still has a home in the SMB market place especially if the user is average 10,000 pages per month. At a cost per page of .016 the SCX-6555N will have a total cost of ownership of $13,995 with out any options. Take a similar A3 device that has an MSRP of $20,000 and a consumable cost (based on 600,000 pages) of $5,100, thsu we have a TCO of $25,100. That's a HUGE difference. Some will argue that the 55ppm A3 devices will last longer and have a larger paper supply, and I might agree, however I could buy three of the SCX-6555N's and still be under the $25,100.


What I'd really like to see is the likes of Ricoh, Canon, KonicaMinolta, Fuji Xerox to wake up and smell the coffee! We don't have to bring to market A4 devices with a very low MSRP, we can bring them in higher and we can sell the reliability, quality and a lower cost per page. Currently we are producing 55ppm A3 devices with cost per pages under a penny, why o why can't we do this with an A4 device!! Come on people Wake UP!!