Digital BW, The Print

So, I've been ruminating on the price of ImagePrint since I've started 
considering getting a wider-format printer (I currently use it w. a 2200).  It 
occured to me: wouldn't it be great if colorbyte offered a "B&W only" version of 
IP?  I'm sure that many people, like me,  use IP primarily for its ability to 
produce neutral (or toned) non-metamerismic B&W prints.  Oh, I use it for 
color printing too, because IP's now a general part of my workflow, but I was 
happy enough with the color prints from my 2200.  It's the B&W prints that 
were problematic.  (Yes, I do know that colorbyte's color profiles are better 
than those that come with the Epson driver, but not being someone who is a 
"color critical" user, I really don't see an earth shattering difference and 
certainly not enough of a difference that I personally would pay for it alone).  
Nor do I use any of the color correction tools or any of the other stuff that 
comes with the "full" version of IP, since I only have the "lite" version.

Wouldn't it be cool if colorbyte offered a "B&W" edition of IP at a lower cost?  
That is, disable everything except for the gray profiles and the tint picker.  Sell 
it for substantially less than even the current "lite" version, which includes 
capability to use the color profiles.  For the 2200, for example, the "full" 
version could still cost whatever it costs now ($800?); the current "lite" version 
(color and B&W) could still cost $495; and the "B&W only" version could sell 
for, e.g., $199.

(While we're re-writing colorbyte's pricing, I'd also suggest that colorbyte "de-
bundle" support from the product.  The most common rationale I've heard for 
the higher price for wider format models (e.g., $500 for the 2200 and approx 
$2000 for the 7600) is that wide format= pro/volume user = increased need for 
support= more $.  But let's say I'm NOT a high volume user and don't want or 
need support.  Therefore I buy the product for $X and don't buy the support.  If 
I decide I need the support, I pay $X more).

Thoughts?  Any chance colorbyte would do this? (I'm talking mostly about the 
"the B&W only version" idea -- the de-bundling of support from product is 
probably much more of a longshot).  I'm posting this here, in addition to writing 
colorbyte soon, because (a) I hope others would also write to colorbyte and 
suggest they do this and (b) because I know people from colorbyte 
occassionally contribute to this board, so it would help if they see support for 
or refinement of this idea from others on this board.

I'm all for it!

Dan

> Thoughts?  Any chance colorbyte would do this? (I'm talking mostly about the
> "the B&W only version" idea -- the de-bundling of support from product is
> probably much more of a longshot).  I'm posting this here, in addition to
> writing 
> colorbyte soon, because (a) I hope others would also write to colorbyte and
> suggest they do this and (b) because I know people from colorbyte
> occassionally contribute to this board, so it would help if they see support
> for 
> or refinement of this idea from others on this board.

I have not looked at all the products that are available but, one of the
things that drew me to IP a few years ago was the fact that Cone's B&W only
product for the larger printers was the same price as IP and with IP I got
Color and B&W. The most important value that Colorbyte offers is that they
will create a profile for your ink and paper combo if it does not already
exist - these are features that I would not want to be without. I guess the
big question would be to ask how profitable has it been to offer a $500
product, and would a $200 product really produce enough additional customers
to be worth the investment in reprogramming? If they got a lot of new
customers who would provide the support? This brings me to a point I made
regarding another post lamenting the absence of a Windows product - it may
be that some small companies don't want lots more customers.

Wendel