Multifunction Printers Add Functionality

By Rebecca Day On Jan 5 2006 - 8:00am

With half of the multifunction printer business done at the sub-$100 price point, expect to see more features, rather than further price erosion, as suppliers compete for mainstream consumer business.

With PMA around the corner, most printer makers are saving major announcements for Orlando. Canon, however, will use the International CES spotlight to launch a new full-featured, multifunction printer. Responding to consumer demand for double-digit printers, Canon will unveil the MP150 ($89), which features four-color printing, 1,472 nozzles with a 2-picoliter drop size and 38-second print speed for a 4-inch by 6-inch color photo. “We're dropping the price by $10 and adding a lot more features,” says marketing associate Justin Joseph.

At the higher end of the multifunction market, built-in wireless is the latest premium feature as suppliers hope to match the functionality of the new wave of wireless cameras from Canon, Nikon and Kodak. “Four or five years ago, all-in-ones tended to lag stand-alone printer technology,” says Jim Ruder, photo printing and accessories VP/general manager at HP, “but today you find the same technology in both.”

HP's flagship all-in-one, the PhotoSmart 3310, commands a $100 premium over its non-wireless counterpart in the HP line. The wireless appeal is real, Ruder says. “Wireless is catching on. There's been Bluetooth, but more consumers want to get printers on a home network and send prints out without connecting a cable.”