Digital BW, The Print

It is well known that Epson tends to release its new products in Japan
several months before their release in the US and Europe - hence members of
this forum keeping an eye on the Japanese "I love Epson" site.  It has
released in Japan an A3+ version of the R800.  I would expect this product
to be released in the US and Europe soon.  This does not mean that it will
halt production of the 2200 (note the 1290 is still available).  However, I
bet Epson considers the new R800-style printer to be its current
state-of-art A3+ printer.  The 2200 brought us 7 (or more accurately 8)
colour pigment inks.  This has now evolved to 7 different colour pigment
inks to broaden the colour gamut and a gloss optimizer to tackle the
bronzing issue on glossy media.  Furthermore, there were improvements in the
droplet size.  If you trace back to where this subject was first raised,
there was no inference that the 2200 was going to be phased out but rather
simply that a newer and arguably, for most, a better model was just over the
horizon.  BTW, it is a dangerous assumption to presume that a bigger and
"richer" economy is an appropriate environment for launching new products.


> From: Peter Nelson <pnweb@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Mon, 01 Nov 2004 21:29:00 -0000
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [Digital BW] 2200 being phased out or not. (was Re: Duotone Grey
> printing with 2100)
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Steve Kale
> <stevekale@b...> wrote:
>> You assume the US is in front of the curve.  The reference below
> was, I
>> believe, noting the situation in Japan where indeed a new A3+
> printer is
>> available.  Watch this space to see the US (and Europe) play catch
> up......
> 
> The US market is a vastly bigger market than the Japanese one (a
> combination of a much bigger population and a much richer economy) so
> Epson isn't going to phase out the 2200 until they have a replacement
> available.   Ditto with the EU.