Dataproducts Announces New Typhoon 60 MDX600 Production Printer.

SIMI VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 1997--

The Typhoon 60 MDX600 Delivers Exceptional High-Speed,

High-Volume Printing With The Outstanding 600 dpi Print Quality

Users Demand

Dataproducts, a leading developer and marketer of high-performance network and office imaging products, Tuesday enhanced their high speed printer family with the new Typhoon 60 MDX600.

This new Typhoon 60 offers several noteworthy features which place this innovative production printer in a class of its own.

The new Typhoon 60 MDX600 is the only production printer in its class to offer a versatile printing solution called Digital printCopies. This breakthrough technology allows users to increase output performance when printing multiple document sets. Users will find this state-of-the-art approach rivals copier technology efficiency. This feature is especially useful in production printing environments where print speed and reliability are crucial.

The print quality on the Typhoon 60 MDX600 is excellent. The new Typhoon 60 MDX600 delivers sharp gray scales and clear, concise graphical detail at 600 dpi resolution. The Typhoon 60 MDX600 is also very economical. At under a penny per page, the Typhoon 60 MDX600 can offer high volume users a considerable savings. The Typhoon 60 MDX600's proven reliability and high duty cycle confirm this printer is the best choice for 60 ppm production printing environments.

Digital printCopies

The all new enhanced Typhoon 60 performance controller, running at 100 Mhz, coupled with Dataproducts' own unique technology for printing multiple copies of documents, sets this product apart from all other printers in its class.

On the Typhoon 60 MDX600 a multiple set print job is processed within the application program and sent as a single print job. Use of the workstation returns to the user faster, allowing him/her to go on to other tasks. The network is not burdened with long transmissions, making it much more efficient.

The printer processes the print file only once and stores the rasterized image for later printing. This increases the productivity of the printer. As the Typhoon 60 MDX600 processes each page of the first document set, it saves a copy of the rasterized page on the hard drive. Subsequent copies print at engine speed from the saved raster image.

Not all mopiers have this capability. Some must reprocess the entire print file for each copy, and others process the print file into an intermediate format for repeated processing. The new Typhoon 60 processes the print file into a bitmap once. There is no need to process the file again. Single processing guarantees Digital printCopies at engine speed -- rivaling copier efficiencies.

Paper Handling

The Typhoon 60 MDX600's high-capacity paper handling system matches its high duty cycle and accommodates universal paper sizes up to ledger/A3. Its output stackers keep your print jobs separated by offset jogging -- an important feature in production and multi-user environments. The printer's paper handling system offers versatility for workgroups and high capacity for production printing. The printer ships standard with two input hoppers of 500 sheets each and one high capacity hopper of 2,000 sheets, an optional high capacity input hopper of 2,000 sheets is also available.

In addition, the printer offers one face down jogging output tray of 500 sheets, and an optional 1,500 sheet open stacker with offset. Two additional optional container stackers of 1,500 sheets each can also be added to a standard configuration. Each of these paper handling features are easily controlled at the desktop by Dataproducts' advanced, new graphical drivers which merge printing and copying functionality.

Print Quality

Typhoon 60 MDX600's new, higher resolution means even crisper, clearer print for every document you distribute! Today no other printer in this speed range offers this exceptional level of print quality. In the workplace, users demand a superior print quality solution to copied document originals. Users will find the Typhoon 60 MDX600's print quality superior with exceptional 600 dpi laser-print clarity. In addition to outstanding print quality, the Typhoon 60 MDX600 also allows users to increase workflow productivity by offering robust network connectivity tools.

Network Connectivity Tools

The new Typhoon drivers are software which allow applications running on a host system to use the printer's features. Drivers are available in different formats to work with different host systems -- PC, Mac or Unix. When the user chooses to print a document, the Typhoon driver controls a variety of printing options such as which input hopper to pull paper from, stapling/offset stacking or page orientation.

These drivers feature bi-directional network communication between the printer and each user's PC. Through this advanced technology, each user can see the current configuration and status of the Typhoon each time a document is printed. The driver also provides embedded PostScript or PCL page description language generation and an intuitive, advanced, graphical interface.

Adding to the Typhoon 60 MDX600's ease-of-use is Dataproducts' Virtual Printer Technology (VPT). VPT is Dataproducts' intelligent network connectivity tool. This software enables a single printer to offer up to 64 print services or "virtual printers," each of which is individually configured by the network manager to meet the specific needs of users. VPT resides on the printer and offers Network Managers increased printer configuration flexibility to match users diverse printing needs.

VPT provides high-performance Ethernet or Token Ring connectivity to most popular host systems. Concurrent support is available for Apple EtherTalk, Novell, IPX (PSERVER and RPRINTER), TCP/IP (including Ipd) and Digital Equipment LAT (Ethernet Only). More than 20 host operating systems are supported including VMS, Novell, LAN Manager, Mac OS, Windows, Windows NT and 12 versions of UNIX. VPT supports all of these environments without changes to the user's host software. No other printer can match this level of connectivity.

Dataproducts' PrintWatch software serves the needs of system managers who install and manage laser printers, providing remote control and status reports for all Dataproducts' printers on the network. It also offers a powerful, easy-to-use graphical interface to Virtual Printer Technology (VPT).

Standard Features

The Typhoon 60 MDX600 carries three standard input trays (3,000 sheets) with one face down jogging tray (500 sheets). This solution accepts statement, executive, letter, legal and ledger-sized papers. Other standard features are duplexing, connectivity via a Centronics parallel port, Digital printCopying, crisp 600 dpi resolution, paper and toner change on the fly, and Dataproducts' robust printer management software PrintWatch.

Availability

The Typhoon 60 MDX600 will be available January 1998 exclusively through Dataproducts' authorized channel partners. It will list for $69,995.

Dataproducts is a subsidiary of Hitachi Koki Co. Ltd., a member of the global industrial leader, the Hitachi Group. Dataproducts is one of the world's leading developers, manufacturers and marketers of high-performance network and stand-alone printers, digital document servers, imaging supplies and services. Products range from personal laser printers to some of the fastest laser and impact output devices available. Dataproducts has headquarters in Simi Valley.

CONTACT: Dataproducts Corp., Simi Valley

Davina Greenstein, 805/578-4371