*NEWS*OCT. EDITORIAL FROM AN IBM DEALER !

Toner News Mobile Forums Latest Industry News *NEWS*OCT. EDITORIAL FROM AN IBM DEALER !

Date: Monday October 13, 2003 09:58:00 am
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  • Anonymous
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    For all those users of character or dot-band printers (IBM: 5262, 6252, 6262,4234, 4245, 4248), here is some interesting and sobering news:  The firm that manufactures the print bands for almost everyone in the world is getting out of the business.  If you have a band printer and want to to keep it for a while, I suggest that you order them soon.  I think you’ll see some things happen in the market over the next few months as a result:
     
    1) A rush to replace the printers with the newer shuttle matrix printers (Printronix based IBM 6400 family,Genicom 5100, family, Tally T6xxx family).  For an overview see: color=#0000ffhttp://www.argecy.com/Printers_by_function.html
     
    But be careful what you wish for:
     
        They will cost up to $25000 each at retail.
        They will be cheaper to maintain.
        They are less durable than what they replaced
        They do not offer a channel attachment option
        They have a significantly shorter life
        They are not as fast.
     
    2) A devil-may-care attitude until the market realizes the dearth of print bands.
     
        Prices will rise as used printbands become popular.
     
    3) Moves toward laser printers, both cut-sheet and continuous forms devices.
     
        Long reports will become very cumbersome to deal with
        Printing costs will skyrocket as compared to impact
     
    IBM recently announced some faster versions of their Printronix-based shuttle matrix printer.  ( color=#0000ff http://www.argecy.com/IBM_announce_9-3-03.html) They boast a top speed of 2400LPM under the right conditions and have some limitations on feature support.  I haven’t seen a lot of demand as yet, but the printband issue seems well-timed.
     
    The merger between former rivals Tally and Genicom has yet to bear fruit.  My contacts say that they expect to continue to market both product lines, but to eventually merge them into best-of-breed products.  As the field of competitors has narrowed with this merger, their combined products are worth a serious look.  Instead of both companies struggling to keep up with the Printronix-based engines, their combined strengths gain new credibility and potential success.
     
    It may sound self-serving and myopic, but availability of used gear may be outpaced by demand as the economy start to warm up.  No one want to hear about shortages or shipping delays or rising prices, but don’t be too surprised if we all feel the pinch.  After all, the glut of equipment available over the past several years has been partly responsible for the falling prices and rising productivity that economists love to mention.  I don’t hope for this, because until the all “cheap” gear gets absorbed out of the market, prices cannot rise.  Therefore, as costs rise, the dealer gets squeezed.  I like falling prices better… more predictable even as inventory values
    deteriorate.
     
    From last month:
    We just got in a nice load of the Lexmark Multifunction laser printers.  They are really quite impressive but unworthy of the staggering list prices attached to them by both Lexmark and IBM.  The HP versions are even more overpriced.  Ours, of course, are very inexpensive.  Long-live the secondary market!!
    Want a free print server?  Check out http:www.argecy.com/Specials.html
     
    David T. Mendelson
    Argecy Computer Corporation
    27280 Haggerty Road
    Farmington Hills, MI  48331
    voice: 248-324-1800 x122
    Fax: 248-324-1900
    cel: 248-320-1862
    AOL IM: DaveArgecy
    color=#0000ff color=#0000ff http://www.argecy.com
    color=#0000ff color=#0000ff dave@argecy.com
     
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