Canon Introduces Bubble Jet Technology `Hat Trick'; Three New Products for SOHO and Corporate Users.

Business Editors and High-Tech Writers

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 5, 2000

S400 Color Bubble Jet Printer, MultiPASS C555 Multifunction Printer 

and BJC-55 Portable Color Printer for

Printing Solutions in the Office, in the Home or on the Road

Canon Computer Systems Inc. ("CCSI") adds to its printer line-up with three new Bubble Jet printing-based products for the color desktop, color portable and color multifunction segments of the ink jet printer market. The S400 Color Bubble Jet printer and MultiPASS C555 color multifunction product which prints, faxes, copies and scans join Canon's robust line-up for small office/home office (SOHO) users and the BJC-55 color portable printer offers built-in USB connectivity and fast IrDA transmission speeds critical for corporate users needing a mobile printing solution.

"These three new Bubble Jet printing solutions signify Canon's continued commitment to combining great performance with great value for our end-users -- wherever they need to print," said John Arnos, senior vice president of sales, marketing and customer care for CCSI. "Since Canon invented Bubble Jet technology in 1977, we've used this R&D asset to address SOHO and corporate market needs. We're the leading player in the color portable printing category and our desktop printers and multifunction printers continue to provide our home and office customers with advanced technology that is easy to use."

The S400 Color Bubble Jet printer replaces the current BJC-3000 printer in Canon's four-color desktop ink jet printer line-up for both Windows and Mac users. Offering resolutions of 1440 x 720 dots-per-inch (dpi) in both color and monochrome using Canon specialty paper, print quality is also enhanced with Canon's proprietary Drop Modulation Technology which places both regular size and half-size drops in the same scan line with the same printhead. This exclusive Canon technology advancement increases color gradation for smoother transition between colors and less graininess in printed output. The S400 printer offers fast print speeds of up to nine pages-per-minute (ppm) in monochrome using the optional BC-30e ink cartridge and up to four ppm in color. Users can also create photo prints using Photo Inks on plain paper - a great convenience when printing Web pages, greeting cards and other output with photo images.

Canon, who pioneered the individual ink tank strategy, offers the Canon ThinkTank system on the S400 printer. This "no-waste" system offers three unique advantages to customers looking to maximize their investment in their new printer: 1) Individual ink tanks, which means users are only replacing the individual color (cyan, magenta, yellow or black) that has run out which ultimately saves the customer money; 2) The only printer in its class with an Optical Low-Ink Sensor which monitors the amount of ink in the tank (the clear ink tanks are also convenient since the user can clearly see when the ink is low); and, 3) New Canon "e" series ink formulations which offer dye-based color inks with a lower optical density for increased color brilliance, richer hues and pigment-based black inks for denser blacks.

Other features include both USB and parallel port connectivity and Canon's unique IS-32 optional scanner cartridge which turns the printer into a 32-bit color scanner by replacing the ink cartridge with the scanner cartridge. The S400 printer will ship in October with an estimated street price of $99(a). According to market research firm IDC Framingham, Mass., April 2000 report, sub-$100 printers now comprise 28 percent of the overall ink jet printer market and Canon's share of this segment is approximately 35 percent.

The new MultiPASS C555 multifunction printer replaces both the current MultiPASS C530 and MultiPASS C545 as a single product offering for both Windows and Mac customers. This product is the ultimate color creation machine - color printing, color faxing, color copying and color scanning combined in one product. Color Bubble Jet Printing: Printing at a resolution of 720 x 360 dpi, the C555 multifunction printer also uses two Canon printing innovations for improved output quality: optional Photo Inks, which offer lower density magenta, cyan and black ink formulations for greater levels of color gradation by placing one to four drops in the same pixel, and, Canon's exclusive Drop Modulation Technology for enhanced smoothness and color transitions. Print speeds are up to five ppm in black using the optional BC-20 cartridge and up to two ppm in color.

Color Faxing: As with its predecessors, a great advantage of the MultiPASS C555 is that it supports standalone color and monochrome faxing which means that the user does not have to power up the PC or Mac in order to send or receive faxes. Color and monochrome faxing is achieved at fine resolution in 203 x 196 dpi and standard resolution in 203 x 98 dpi with 64 shades of gray with Ultra High Quality (UHQ) and Edge Enhancement. Transmission speeds are six seconds per page(aa) using a 14.4 Kbps modem and fax print speed print is up to four ppm. The automatic document feeder holds 30 sheets of 20-lb. paper and offers speed dial options up to 112. Fax memory is 42 pages(aa). PC users can fax directly from the Desktop Manager software via the fax modem in the unit.

Color Copier: The MultiPASS C555 copies at a resolution of 360 x 360 dpi at speeds of 30 seconds for the first monochrome copy and up to three ppm for multiple copies. Color copies are created at up to three minutes per page. As with the fax function, the MultiPASS C555 can make color or monochrome copies without having the PC or Mac turned on for added convenience.

Color Scanner: Offering 600 dpi enhanced resolution, the MultiPASS C555 scans at 24-bit color for 16.7 million possible colors. Both Windows and Mac users can take advantage of the easy-to-use push-button scan feature on the software toolbar. This feature allows easy access to Canon Creative and other applications. A TWAIN driver is included for Windows and a PhotoShop Plug-in is offered for Mac users.

The MultiPASS C555 is scheduled to ship in October with Desktop Manager version 3.21 Canon Creative for the MultiPASS includes Canon Photo and OfficeReady from Canon Software Publishing, Textbridge Pro OCR by ScanSoft and free webhosting for small business owners via the Canon Small Business Community all for an estimated street price of $199(a).

Canon's BJC-55 color portable printer continues Canon's dominance in the mobile printing segment of the market as the third printer in the line-up joining the BJC-85 and BJC-50 printing solutions for mobile corporate users. According to NPD INTELECT Market Tracking (Port Washington, N.Y.) Canon commands an 83 percent market share of the color portable printing market.

The key advantages to the new BJC-55 printer includes built-in USB connectivity and built-in fast IrDA (version 1.1) transmission which is essential to corporate road warriors working in a Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 98 or Windows CE environment. With USB, the BJC-55 printer is also the perfect printing companion for iBook, PowerBook G3/G4 and iMac end-users. Palm Pilot fans can use the BJC-55 printer to print from their handheld device with optional Palm OS drivers. In addition to its attractive features for corporate users, the BJC-55 printer acts just like a desktop Color Bubble Jet printer when it comes to performance. Print resolution is 720 x 360 dpi and includes

Canon's Drop Modulation Technology for great quality on the road.

Canon's exclusive IS-12 Color Image Scanner Cartridge option instantly turns the small printer into a small 360 dpi color scanner and copier - a feature no other portable printer can claim. Print speeds are fast at up to five ppm in black and two ppm in color and optional Photo Ink cartridges are available for enhanced photographic printed output.

The tiny printer offers a manual feed for paper and envelopes but will accept most types of Canon specialty papers. An optional automatic sheet feeder (ASF-50) which holds 30 pages, 10 transparencies or five envelopes is available for an estimated street price of $59(a). The compact BJC-55 printer weighs in at just over two pounds (including the battery) and at 11.9 inches wide by two inches high and 4.4 inches deep, slips into any briefcase or book bag. The BJC-55 printer estimated street price of $349(a) includes a lithium ion battery for 100 pages on one charge.

Warranty and Service

The S400 printer comes with a One-Year Limited Warranty program with Select Exchange Warranty Program or an optional three-year Extended Service Plan providing coverage for up to three years for $50(aaa); the MultiPASS C555 multifunction printer comes with a One-Year Limited Warranty Plan(aaa) or an optional three-year Extended Service Plan providing coverage for up to three years for $95(aaa); and, the BJC-55 printer comes with a One-Year Limited Warranty Plan and an optional Extended Service Plan providing coverage for up to three years for $50(aaa). CCSI offers a full range of live customer technical support options including: 24-hour, 7-day-a-week, toll-free automated support for basic product troubleshooting issues on most current products; option to speak directly to a technician free of service charge available Monday-Saturday excluding holidays for products under warranty; the Canon Computer Systems Inc. Web site and 24-hour, toll-free Fax Retrieval System(aaa).

About Canon

Canon Computer Systems Inc. (CCSI) is a subsidiary of both Canon USA Inc. (Lake Success, N.Y.) and Canon Inc. (Tokyo, Japan). With headquarters in Costa Mesa, CCSI was founded in 1992 to market Canon-branded computer peripheral products in the United States including Color Bubble Jet printers, the MultiPASS line of multifunction printers, CanoScan color flatbed scanners and printers designed to work with Internet Appliances such as the Canon LR-1 PrintStation. For more information, customers can call 800/OK-CANON or visit the CCSI Web site at www.ccsi.canon.com. Canon is recognized as the world's largest computer printer manufacturer, a leader in imaging technology and a top worldwide patent holder. As a global technology leader, Canon achieved $25.7 billion in worldwide sales in 1999.

(a)Prices are estimates only. Prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.

(aa)Based on CCI TT Chart No. 1

(aaa)Support programs specific subject to change without notice. Conditions and restrictions apply. See Extended Service Plan for details.