Epson Customers ``Get Down to Business'' With New Pricing on High-Performance Ink Jet Printers

Business Wire, March 8, 2000

Business Editors

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2000

New Prices and Rebates Enhance Values of EPSON Stylus Color 860 and

EPSON Stylus Color 760 to $149 and $129, Respectively

Epson America Inc., creator of high-quality, award-winning imaging products, today announced that it has enhanced the values of two of its high-performance ink jet printers designed for business and small-office professionals.

The EPSON Stylus Color 860, priced at $149 (estimated street price following a $50 mail-in rebate), and EPSON Stylus Color 760, priced at $129 (estimated street price following a $30 mail-in rebate), deliver 1440 dpi resolution, the smallest droplet size in their classes -- four picoliters -- and Epson's award-winning Micro Piezo(TM) print technology. The results are laser-sharp text and unrivaled photos and graphics produced at record print speeds.

"Both the EPSON Stylus Color 860 and EPSON Stylus Color 760 deliver a winning combination of laser-sharp text, excellent photo and graphic output, and now a new price that makes their value greater than ever," said Rajeev Mishra, product manager, consumer ink jet printers, Epson. "Consumers who strive for excellence and efficiency at home or work will also be pleased with both models' high-speed levels of output and outstanding quality."

EPSON Stylus Color 860 -- Best for Business Users

The EPSON Stylus Color 860 produces up to 9.5 pages per minute (ppm) of laser-sharp black text and seven ppm of photo-quality output.

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 new industrial design and is twice as quiet as previous Epson printers. The printer also offers enhanced print driver features, including print preview, poster printing and watermark capability for added productivity, as well as creativity.

Packed with an extensive 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.

EPSON Stylus Color 760 -- Best for Small-Office Users

Printing at speeds up to seven ppm black text and six ppm in color, the EPSON Stylus Color 760 is ideal for small-business users, adding a professional touch to business presentations, reports and digital photography.

Like the EPSON Stylus Color 860, the EPSON Stylus Color 760 features 1440 dpi resolution, ultra-small four picoliter ink droplets and Epson's award winning Micro Piezo print technology. This printer also features built-in USB and parallel ports, new driver enhancements and a solid software bundle.

Networking Capabilities

Network users can also take advantage of the EPSON Stylus Color 860 and EPSON Stylus Color 760 using the Axis 1440 print server, priced at $159 (manufacturer's suggested retail price). Designed and developed jointly by Epson and Axis for EPSON ink jet printers, the Axis 1440 print server is an easy and cost-effective way to connect many EPSON printers without a Type B interface to an Ethernet network.

Axis 1440 also enables users to run TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, AppleTalk and NetBIOS/NetBEUI protocols simultaneously, enabling Windows(R) NT(TM), Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 3.x, Macintosh(R), UNIX(R) and OS/2(R) workstations all access to the printer at the same time.

Warranty and Support

The EPSON Stylus Color 860 and EPSON Stylus Color 760 are sold through computer superstores and specialty retail stores nationwide, as well as through mail order and the Internet. Both carry a one-year Epson Exchange Limited Warranty, enabling customers to receive an exchange unit if a problem cannot be corrected by telephone technical support.

The product is supported by EPSON Connection(SM), Epson's customer support and technical assistance line. For more information on Epson and its products, call 800/GO-EPSON (800/463-7766) or visit Epson'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 has headquarters in Long Beach.

Note to Editors: Epson and Epson Stylus are registered trademarks and Micro Piezo and EPSON Smart Panel are trademarks of the Seiko Epson Corp. Epson Connection is a service mark of Epson America Inc. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.