Epson announces color digital camera for PC or Macintosh platforms

Business Wire, August 7, 1996

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 1996--Epson, the creator of high-quality imaging products, announced the PhotoPC for Windows or Mac platforms.

Designed for ease of use, flexibility and superior image quality, the PhotoPC is the perfect tool for getting images quickly and easily into a Windows or Mac computer. And for those who need dual platform capability, the PhotoPC Mac Connectivity Kit provides everything one needs to add Macintosh compatibility to Epson's award-winning PhotoPC color digital camera for Windows.

For Work Or Play

PhotoPC, which is currently shipping for both platforms, is targeted at business and home computer users who desire a quicker and easier way to bring pictures into their computers. PhotoPC images can be used to communicate more effectively in correspondence, proposals, newsletters and presentations and to add a creative touch to personal letters, greeting cards, flyers and school projects.

The PhotoPC also saves time when developing comps for graphic design projects such as brochures, storyboarding or packaging.

Internet Applications

Unlike other digital cameras that use proprietary compression technology, Epson's PhotoPC images are automatically stored as JPEG files. This industry standard allows one to put images into documents or Web pages instantly, instead of wasting time and compromising image integrity on file format conversion.

"The Epson PhotoPC is an effective business tool that happens to be a great deal of fun to use," said Anna Jen, product manager, Epson. "By going directly from the PhotoPC to either a Macintosh or Windows computer, users eliminate the time and expense of photographing, developing film and scanning images.

"Speed and cost-effectiveness is a huge advantage, whether for business or personal creative purposes. And by using the Connectivity Kit, business users with PCs can take the PhotoPC home to use with their Macs!"

PhotoPC Features

The point-and-shoot Epson PhotoPC has the look and feel of a standard film camera, weighing less than one pound and measuring 6.6 x 3.5 x 1.9 inches (WxHxD). PhotoPC captures images with resolutions of 640 x 480 pixels (high) or 320 x 240 pixels (standard) in more than 16 million colors.

Epson's ColorTrue in-camera processing system provides pictures with accurate and brilliant colors. It is this technology that sets the Epson PhotoPC image quality above all others in the category. ColorTrue ensures that each picture has excellent color accuracy, saturation, balance and contrast, making Epson's image quality visibly superior to other, more expensive digital cameras.

The PhotoPC base unit has one megabyte of flash memory that stores a minimum of 16 high-resolution images or 32 standard- resolution images. Optional Epson PhotoSpan memory modules allow users to expand total storage capacity to five megabytes of RAM for up to 160 images in standard mode.

For added flexibility, the Epson PhotoPC accepts any 37mm video camcorder lens or filters, allowing the option of close-up and wide-angle lenses, among others. To ensure high-quality images even in low-light conditions, the PhotoPC offers two flash modes, auto and forced, which provide flash ranges from three to 10 feet as well.

Ease of Use

The Epson PhotoPC comes with everything users need to get pictures into their computers -- digital camera, serial communications cable and EasyPhoto software by Storm Software Inc. Among its many features, EasyPhoto retrieves images from the camera and provides intuitive image management and enhancement capabilities.

To allow users to acquire images from the camera directly into Adobe Photoshop or PhotoDeluxe, the PhotoPC for Mac also includes a Photoshop Plug-In driver and for the PhotoPC for Windows, a TWAIN driver.

For convenience, an LCD display indicates the number of images taken, number remaining, image quality resolution, flash setting and battery level. To avoid wasted shots, such as a person with his/her eyes closed, the EasyTouch control panel provides "erase last image" and also has a "self-timer" capability.

"With PhotoPC, we are making it possible for business and home computer users to express themselves with color pictures as easily as they do with text today," said Jeff Mandell, director of image capture product management, Epson.

"PhotoPC marks our continued efforts to bring a range of popular image capture products that leverage the 'Photo Quality' power of Epson Stylus 720 dpi color ink jet printers, which print on both PC and Mac platforms."

The Epson PhotoPC for Windows or Mac carries a one-year limited warranty and has a street price of under $500. The PhotoPC Mac Connectivity Kit includes Storm's EasyPhoto software for the Mac with the PhotoPC Plug-In driver and a serial cable. Priced under $50, the kit is currently available through all distribution channels.

For more information on Epson and its products, call 800/GO-EPSON, ext. 3000, or stop by the company's corporate Web site on the Internet at http://www.epson.com and download a few PhotoPC images from our Digital Photo Gallery.