MINOLTA-QMS Announces Price Cuts to Color Laser Printers; High-Quality Meets Low Cost as Company Sets Marketplace Standard.

Business Editors

MOBILE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2001

MINOLTA-QMS Inc. today announced it has reduced prices on its magicolor(R) 330, 2200 and 6100 families of laser printers, bringing even more affordability to what are already the best values in color laser printers.

The price of the magicolor 6100 DeskLaser has been dropped to $1,999(a). Coupled with the $1,299(a)-priced magicolor 2200 DeskLaser, these two printers are the best value for color laser printing in their respective classes, and present an attractive and affordable alternative to monochrome printers.

The magicolor 2200 DeskLaser is aimed at monochrome laser and ink jet printer users looking to move up to a color laser printer. It comes with standard 10/100BaseTX Ethernet(R) interface for instant networking capability and is designed to make printing more productive for workgroups that primarily use Windows(R) applications.

The magicolor 6100 DeskLaser brings small business users tabloid-sized print capabilities, previously only available on more expensive printers developed for the graphic design and publishing market. It has print speeds of up to 24 ppm monochrome and 6 ppm color at 1200 dpi and is fully compatible with a Windows network.

MINOLTA-QMS has also cut prices on most other printers in its magicolor 330, 2200 and 6100 families. By reducing prices on its color laser line, MINOLTA-QMS has solidified its position of having the best value color laser printers.

The magicolor 6100 family has been lauded by publications, including PC World and Better Buys for Business, as being the best in their class. They are ideal large-format printers for office applications, with top-of-the-line graphics and fast print speeds.

The magicolor 2200 family has also won its share of awards, including recently topping PC World's Top Ten Color Laser Printer chart. It includes the magicolor 2200 N, which, at $1,999(a), is the lowest-cost color laser with standard PostScript(R) and networking capabilities among major vendors.

The magicolor 330 EX is designed for large color, with rich, full-bleed tabloid printing. It was named "Mac Printer of the Year" by MacUser in 1999, and now costs $500 less.

"We're very excited to introduce our new pricing for our color laser products," said Jan Sundelin, senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing. "MINOLTA-QMS products are a perfect combination of high quality and affordability. By making these price moves we're continuing to take the leadership role in the color laser marketplace."

The price changes are reflected below:

 Product             Former List       New List       e-Commerce
                       Price            Price          Price(a)

 magicolor 2200 DL     $1,499           No change      $1,299
 magicolor 2200 N      $2,499           $2,199         $1,999
 magicolor 2200 GN     $2,799           $2,499
 magicolor 2200 EN     $3,299           $2,999
 magicolor 2200 DP     $4,199           No change
 magicolor 6100 DL     $3,299           $2,249         $1,999
 magicolor 6100 N      $4,299           No change
 magicolor 6100 GN     $5,299           $4,699
 magicolor 6100 EN     $5,999           $5,199
 magicolor 6100 DP     $7,999           $7,499
 magicolor 330 EX      $5,899           $5,399

(a) Suggested e-Commerce price. E-Commerce pricing refers to the price consumers can expect to pay when buying the printer through an e-Commerce provider. Dealer prices may vary. All prices are in U.S. dollars.

Availability

The magicolor 2200, magicolor 6100 and magicolor 330 series of printers are available through MINOLTA-QMS' worldwide network of authorized distributors, resellers and e-commerce partners. To locate the reseller nearest you, call 800/523-2696 or visit the MINOLTA-QMS Web site at www.minolta-qms.com.

MINOLTA-QMS Inc.

MINOLTA-QMS Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Minolta Co. Ltd., is an innovative developer, manufacturer,and supplier of document printing solutions. The product line includes color and monochrome laser printers, and associated supplies and accessories for general office, electronic publishing, graphic design, advanced imaging, and home office applications.

MINOLTA-QMS has headquarters in Mobile, Ala. USA, and distributes products through a global network of e-commerce, reseller and distribution partners.

The MINOLTA-QMS logo and magicolor are trademarks or registered trademarks of MINOLTA-QMS Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners

Editors Note: If your publication prints direct reader contact information, use the following: MINOLTA-QMS Inc., One Magnum pass, Mobile, AL 36618. 800/523-2696 or 334/633-4300.