blob@Apple.COM (Brian Bechtel) (03/11/91)
MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AT 8:02 AM, EST, MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1991.
Contact:
Kate Paisley
Apple Computer, Inc.
(408) 974-5453
Apple Introduces Low-Cost, Laser-Quality Printers;
Reduces Prices of High-End LaserWriter Printers
CUPERTINO, California--March 11, 1991--Apple Computer, Inc. today broadened its
strategy to increase the company's share of the personal computer market by
dramatically lowering the cost of laser-quality printing for the Apple
Macintosh computer. Apple introduced two new, low-cost, laser-quality
printers--the Apple StyleWriter and the Apple Personal LaserWriter LS. Priced
at $599 and $1,299, respectively, these two printers effectively reduce the
entry-level price of laser-quality printing from Apple by 70 percent.
In a related move, the company reduced the prices of its three higher
performance LaserWriter printers by up to 21 percent. Taken together, these
announcements give all Macintosh customers more printing options--at better
prices--than ever before.
"Introducing more affordable computers last October was the first step in
our strategy to reach more people with Macintosh," said John Sculley, Apple's
chairman and chief executive officer. "Today's announcements significantly
advance that agenda. Lower cost, laser-quality printing makes a full Macintosh
system a more compelling value than ever before."
The release of the new printers also marks the first availability of
Apple's TrueType outline font technology. TrueType brings high-quality type
to all Macintosh users by enhancing on-screen display and printed output. Its
advanced capabilities and open format have attracted support from many leading
type vendors. The companies announcing TrueType fonts and utilities today
include Agfa Compugraphic, Altsys Corporation, Ares Software Corporation,
Bitstream Inc., Casady & Greene, Inc., Kingsley/ATF Type Corporation, Letraset,
Linotype-Hell, and Monotype Typography. The StyleWriter and Personal
LaserWriter LS printers both rely on TrueType font software to produce
high-quality text from any Macintosh computer.
Although they work with all Macintosh computers, the company believes the
new printers will be especially popular with customers purchasing Apple's
low-cost Macintosh Classic, Macintosh LC or Macintosh IIsi computers.
Apple StyleWriter
At $599 U.S. suggested retail price, the StyleWriter is Apple's lowest
priced laser-quality printer. It is a thermal ink jet printer designed for
individual users who want professional-quality results, yet who don't need to
print a high number of pages per day. It complements the text and graphics
capabilities of the Macintosh with its near-typeset quality output--360 dots
per inch (dpi)--and support for virtually all applications. The StyleWriter
enables users to conveniently print laser-quality text and graphics in memos,
reports and presentations or other documents.
The StyleWriter relies on Apple's TrueType font software to print
top-quality text at any size in a variety of different typestyles. TrueType
ensures that all sizes of text will print smoothly and without distortion.
Apple will include four font families (13 different type styles--Times,
Helvetica, and Courier in plain, bold, italic and bold italic; and Symbol) with
the printer. TrueType will be widely available to all users later this year as
part of System 7, Apple's next major release of the Macintosh operating system.
The StyleWriter printer's other notable characteristics are its small size
and paper handling capabilities. About the size of a shoe box, it takes only a
small amount of space on the desk--an especially attractive feature for
students and home users. Almost any type of letter or legal size paper, or
envelopes can be inserted manually. Paper can also be fed automatically
through a sheet feeder included with the printer. The sheet feeder holds 50
sheets of paper and connects easily to the printer to form an integrated unit.
At the heart of the StyleWriter is thermal ink jet technology. In this
process, ink is heated, causing it to be ejected onto a page from 64 tiny
nozzles. This produces laser-quality text and graphics at about one-half page
per minute in "best" quality mode (360 dpi) or one page per minute in "draft"
mode (180 dpi). The nozzles are contained in a combination print head/inking
unit or cartridge. Since the cartridge is replaced each time the ink runs out,
optimal print quality is maintained by renewing not only the ink supply but the
print head, too.
Apple Personal LaserWriter LS
At $1,299 U.S. suggested retail price, the Personal LaserWriter LS is
Apple's most affordable laser printer for individual users. It features the
same high-quality printed results and flexibility that are usually associated
with more expensive laser printers---professional-looking documents, versatile
paper handling and quick throughput. Designed for individual users in homes,
businesses or schools who want laser-quality letters, graphics and charts, it
supports virtually all applications and includes all of the hardware, fonts,
and memory necessary for easy set-up and trouble-free printing.
Its compact design and easy access to paper input and output trays allow
the Personal LaserWriter LS to fit conveniently on almost any desk. A 50-sheet
multipurpose tray is standard and a 250-sheet paper tray is optional. Most
types and sizes of paper, as well as transparencies, envelopes, and labels can
be used with the Personal LaserWriter LS. Based on the proven Canon LBP-LX
laser engine, it prints at a near-typeset-quality resolution of 300 dpi up to
four pages per minute.
Like the StyleWriter, the Personal LaserWriter LS relies on Apple's
TrueType font software. It prints smooth text at any size in a variety of
different type styles (four font families--13 different type styles) that Apple
will ship with the printer.
Although the external design of the Personal LaserWriter LS looks similar
to its Personal LaserWriter cousins, internally it has been redesigned to
reduce cost and maximize performance. The high level of integration on the
logic board translates into better performance and even higher reliability for
customers. Additionally, the Personal LaserWriter LS requires only 512K of
random access memory (RAM) to easily and quickly print full pages of text and
graphics. This is because of a unique compression/decompression routine that
works in concert with the Macintosh. Other low-cost laser printers typically
require 1.5 to 2.5 megabytes (MB) of RAM to print full pages. The Personal
LaserWriter LS connects to the computer via the serial port. A special chip in
the printer enables the computer to transfer data through the serial port at a
high rate of speed (909K bits per second or almost 100 times faster than is
typical for a standard serial connection) which means that documents are
printed fast. Moreover, it includes background printing, a feature not found
in most low-cost printers, which enables users to continue working while a page
is being printed.
System Requirements
The minimum system requirement for the StyleWriter is any Macintosh with
at least 1MB of memory and System Software 6.0.7 or later. The minimum system
requirement for the Personal LaserWriter LS is any Macintosh with at least 1MB
of memory, System Software 6.0.7 or later, and a hard disk.
The printers ship with three floppy disks that contain TrueType font
software, print drivers, and an additional disk of printing tools that enable
users with other Apple printers to use TrueType. The printers also include all
of the memory and cables necessary to print laser-quality text and graphics
right out of the box. Both carry Apple's standard one year limited warranty.
Pricing and Availability
The printers are in full production and available worldwide immediately.
Because of anticipated high demand for the StyleWriter, quantities are expected
to be limited during the first few months of availability. Manufacturer's
suggested retail prices (MSRP) through all Apple authorized resellers in the
United States are as follows:
Model Price Availability
-- Personal LaserWriter LS $1,299 Immediate
- Optional Paper Tray (with one paper cassette) $199 Immediate
- Letter Cassette $79 Immediate
- Legal Cassette$79 Immediate
- Envelope Cassette $89 Immediate
- Toner Cartridges $99 Immediate
-- StyleWriter (with ink cartridge and sheet feeder) $599 Immediate (In
limited quantities)
- Ink Cartridges$22.99 Immediate
(Prices and availability may vary outside the United States.)
For customers interested in taking advantage of TrueType prior to the
release of System 7, Apple will offer a separate TrueType Disk Set that
provides TrueType capabilities with System 6.0.7. This set will be made
available to Apple user groups and online services. Additionally, Apple's
third-party developers may license the TrueType Disk Set for inclusion with
their products. Pricing for the TrueType Disk Set will be determined by the
organizations distributing it.
Price Reductions
The Personal LaserWriter LS and StyleWriter join Apple's growing line of
printers. The entire family now includes the ImageWriter II, StyleWriter, and
Personal LaserWriter LS for individual printing capabilities; and the Personal
LaserWriter NT, LaserWriter IINT, and LaserWriter IINTX for shared printing
capabilities and PostScript functionality. Price reductions of up to 21
percent (based on U.S. MSRP) on the following printers go into effect today:
Model Old Price New Price % Change
-- Personal LaserWriter NT $3,299 $2,599 -21%
-- LaserWriter IINT $4,499 $3,999 -11%
-- LaserWriter IINTX $5,999 $4,999 -16%
(Prices and availability may vary outside the United States.)
-30-
Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, LaserWriter, ImageWriter and StyleWriter are
registered trademarks; and TrueType is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Classic is a registered trademark used under license by Apple Computer, Inc.
PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Inc.
END
Apple Press Releases
PR Express
3/11/91