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Memjet Now Eyeing 2009 Release

August 1, 2008

When Memjet's color printing technology, the first to combine high speed and quality color at a leading price/performance, was unveiled at the 2007 Global Ink Jet Printing Conference, it sounded too good to be true. Thousands of patents for Silverbrook, the technology developer, seem to indicate Memjet's pioneering efforts are as amazing as its claims, primarily, printing letter-size pages at an astonishing 60 pages per minute at affordable prices for both print engines and consumables.

Since the 2007 launch, the industry has been waiting to see if affordable printers with the sizzling Memjet technology and chipped cartridges with 160-bit encryption reported to be "uncrackable" by company officials will appear and impact the aftermarket.Last week, Gearlog wrote: "Delays associated with new technology are nothing new. Still, in 2007, Memjet officials promised: a photo printer, which the company hoped to sell for less than $150 by the end of the year or early 2008; the 8.5-inch x 11-inch (A4) color inkjet, due to arrive at the end of 2008 for under $200; a label printer; and a large-format photo printer, expected to cost about $5,000, and capable of printing poster-sized prints at rapid speed."

So where is it?

"We don't mean to be secretive," said Kim Beswick, VP of Marketing for Memjet Home and Office, "but our host brands (Memjet Labels, Memjet Home & Office, Memjet Photo Retail and Memjet Wide Format) will make the announcements and launch their products separately."

Beswick said that the A-4 letter-sized print head is expected to be finished by end of 2008. "Our brands set the price point.The first brand is expected to launch in early 2009. The price will be driven by whether the customers prioritize cost or single use, MFP etc."

Beswick said for the A-4, Memjet is looking for a price "sweet spot" in the $300-500 range.

Read more about Memjet.