amthor@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu (Geoffrey Amthor) (11/16/89)
I've read with interest some of the recent speculation in this group on future NeXT configurations--including a 68040 model that may or may not have 32-bit color. However, I've not heard any rumors about how color printing and/or scanning might be accomplished. But glancing through a Canon copier brochure, I saw this high-end item: Canon's "Color Laser Copier 500." It's a huge machine; it can tie together everything from computer to film scanner to still video camera floppy disk to VCR to video disk player to TV tuner. As most of you know, Canon has a big stake (about 16%, I think) in NeXT. With NeXT developing a color system, I thought there might be a plan somewhere to integrate some of Canon's hot technology. (If I understand the brochure right, the Canon offers 32-bit color--8 bit each for black, magenta, yellow, cyan.) Just guessing about what could be done... Could we see a 400 dpi color laser/scanner combination on the desktop? Throw in proprietary fax capability? Even make color copies--a "personal color Xerox"--? Canon already makes the engine in the NeXT 400 dpi PostScript printer If it managed to tie together the kind of machine I'm imagining, at an affordable price, it could blow away the market. Price? My guess is that if Canon got it down to the cost of the current NeXT machine, the market would explode.