Digital BW, The Print

As you folks may know, Epson just released a new 8.5" printer in 
Japan that has 8 colors, including red, blue, and 'gloss optimizer'.  
Now, unexpectedly, they've announced it's going to be released in the 
US as the R800 (though not until Feb 2004).

Why am I mentioning this in a B&W forum?  Well, because the printer 
can print 1.5 picoliter droplets and does not include light C,M, and 
K carts.  Obviously the 'gloss' cart should really help with the 
bronzing problem, and the R and B inks should improve gamut, but I'm 
assuming they were able to eliminate the lighter carts because the 
droplets have gotten so small.  Or, at least, I'm wondering if that's 
true.

Anyway, if so, it would seem to offer another option for B&W printing 
without metamerism, for those that don't care for the current look 
of 'black only' prints I mean.  Assuming, of course, that the small 
droplets eliminate what some people feel are the drawbacks of BO 
printing.  (Which is not a criticism of BO printing, just an 
acknowledgment that some people don't prefer it at its current state.)

Of course, I don't know it any of this is true, and it won't really 
matter that much to most of us until these features migrate into 
larger printers, yet I thought it was kind of interesting.

Again, just thinking aloud, now that I've come to find this subject 
so interesting.

Mike