September 1st, 1999

[1:50 PM]
Epson Shipping First FireWire Printer For The Mac
Wanting to add a fast new FireWire printer to your Blue & White G3 or PowerMac G4? Epson has shipped what it claims is the first FireWire printer. The 900G is an inkjet printer offering 1440 x 720 dpi resolution and prints at 12 PPM (black) and 10 PPM (color). The company has been smart in the way it offers FireWire support by allowing the use of optional cards for FireWire, Ethernet, and more. The 900G also offers built-in USB support. According to Epson:

Epson America Inc. today unveiled the EPSON Stylus Color 900G - the industry's first color ink jet printer to support Firewire connectivity. Housed in a new, sleek translucent case with a blueberry cover to coordinate with the unique industrial design of Apple's desktop computing products, the EPSON Stylus Color 900G combines world-class speed, the industry's smallest ink droplet - three picoliters and outstanding resolution - 1440 dpi - to produce impressive photo-quality output in record time.

Epson continues supporting the Macintosh market, setting many 'firsts' within the industry. In August 1998, the EPSON Stylus Color 740 was the first ink jet printer in the industry to offer built-in USB connectivity. In May 1999, the EPSON Stylus Color 740i was the first printer with an industrial design to match Apple's iMac and Power Macintosh G3 computers. Now, the EPSON Stylus Color 900G has become the first printer to support Firewire connectivity.

EPSON Stylus Color 900G - High Performance Features Packed in a Colorful New Case

The EPSON Stylus Color 900G is a four-color (CMYK) ink jet printer that features the fastest performance of any color ink jet in its class. Utilizing Epson's award-winning Advanced Micro Piezo (technology, the printer combines variable droplet sizes at resolutions as high as 1440 x 720 dpi to deliver superior output at exceptional print speeds. Office users will also appreciate the printer's high durability and low operating costs. With maximum rated print speeds of 12 PPM black text and 10 PPM in color, the EPSON Stylus Color 900G delivers outstanding productivity for business and graphics professionals.

Out of the box, the EPSON Stylus Color 900G is both PC- and Macintosh-compatible, allowing simultaneous connection and autosensing between both platforms for maximum flexibility. The printer also features native Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectivity for both Windows 98 and Macintosh platforms, including the iMac.

The EPSON Stylus Color 900G also accepts optional cards for use on Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and LocalTalk networks as well as the latest Firewire (IEEE 1394) high-speed peripheral interface. In fact, effective September 1, 1999, Epson will offer an EPSON Type-B IEEE 1394 Interface Card for $199 (estimated street price). Additionally, customers can take advantage of optional PostScript software as an added professional feature.

Recognizing that many business and graphics professionals are already equipped with robust, high-productivity software titles, the EPSON Stylus Color 900G offers a unique software bundle to its customers. Users can choose two software programs from an impressive variety of categories, ranging from business utilities such as Virex and Print Shop Press Writer 1.5, to best selling games Shanghai Dynasty and PlaySkool Puzzles, and many more.

The printer carries a one-year Epson Exchange Warranty, allowing customers to receive a replacement printer within one business day if a problem cannot be corrected by telephone technical support. The printer is also supported by the EPSON Connection(SM), a customer support and technical assistance line.

The 900G is priced at US$429 and is available now. The company has not added information about the 900G to their web site, though they do have information about the 900 and 900N.

The Mac Observer Spin: It's good to see another FireWire product on the market, and this one appears to be a great one. Hats off to Epson too for being so staunchly supportive of the Mac in their press release. We usually remove the fluff when we include press release quotes, but we will include this quote here in the Spin for emphasis:

"Combining blazing print speeds up to 12 pages per minute and high-speed Firewire connectivity, the EPSON Stylus Color 900G is the perfect fit for Macintosh users who require a high-performance printing solution," said Rajeev Mishra, product manager, consumer ink jet printers, Epson. "And, with it's new colorful case design, the EPSON Stylus Color 900G makes an attractive companion to Apple's Power Macintosh G3 and iMac computers."

Epson