Epson Delivers Even Greater Value to Power Users With Lower Price Point for High Performance Ink Jet Printer; $249 Price Makes EPSON Stylus Color 860 Ultimate Holiday Gift

Business Wire, Dec 16, 1999

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1999--

Epson America Inc., creator of high-quality, award-winning imaging products, announced it has lowered the price of the EPSON Stylus(R) Color 860.

At $249 (estimated street price), this printer delivers even more value for power users, combining multiplatform support, the smallest droplet size in its class -- 4 picoliters -- and Epson's award-winning advanced Micro Piezo(TM) print technology to produce amazing photo-quality output at lightning-fast speeds.

"The feature-rich EPSON Stylus Color 860 produces laser-sharp text and unrivaled photos and graphics at incredible speeds and color clarity," said Rajeev Mishra, product manager, consumer ink jet printers, Epson. "Getting this level of performance at such an affordable price point is a coup for consumers looking for the perfect holiday gift."

EPSON Stylus Color 860 -- Best for Power Users

The EPSON Stylus Color 860 produces up to 9.5 pages per minute (ppm) of laser-sharp black text and 7 ppm of photo-quality output. In head-to-head performance comparisons, NSTL, an independent testing lab, has proven that the EPSON Stylus Color 860 overall is up to 54% faster than the leading competitors in its class.

Out of the box, this four-color printer (CMYK) is both PC and Macintosh compatible, featuring built-in USB and parallel ports for maximum flexibility. In fact, EPSON printers have now become the leading choice for USB printing. The EPSON Stylus Color 860 features a sleek design and an ultra-quiet printing engine.

The printer also offers enhanced print driver features, including print preview, poster printing and watermark capability for added productivity as well as creativity. And network users can take advantage of the EPSON Stylus Color 860 using an optional Ethernet print server.

Packed with an impressive software bundle, the EPSON Stylus Color 860 includes Polaroid PhotoMAX Pro(TM) and ArcSoft PhotoPrinter SE(TM) digital imaging applications. Additionally, PC users can take advantage of eFax(TM) and EPSON Film Factory, which are also included in the box.

Warranty and Support

The EPSON Stylus Color 860 is sold through computer superstores and specialty retail stores nationwide, as well as through mail order and the Internet. It carries a one-year Epson Exchange Warranty, allowing customers to receive a replacement printer if a problem cannot be corrected by telephone technical support.

It is also supported by the EPSON Connection(SM), a customer support and technical assistance line. For more information on Epson and its products, call 800/GO-EPSON (800/463-7766) or visit the company's Web site at www.epson.com.

About Epson

Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) solutions for the retail market.

Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. has headquarters in Long Beach.