🚀 go-pugleaf

> The recent news about HP adopting Imagen's DDL makes me wonder
> about Imagen's intentions.
> 
> Imagen sells printers based on the Canon engine and uses Impress
> as the "page description language". As far as I know, none of
> their printers use DDL.
> 
> HP sells printers based on the Canon engine and uses a primitive
> description language.
> 
> HP wants to upgrade its printer line so it makes a deal with Imagen
> to use DDL. This means that Imagen's printers (using Impress)
> will be competing with HP's printers (using DDL). Given the
> quantities of Canon printers HP buys, I would guess that HP
> could sell their printers for less than Imagen. Assuming that
> DDL isn't much slower than Impress, why would anyone buy
> an Imagen printer? Is Imagen thinking of getting out of the
> hardware business? Does the deal with HP prescribe any kind of
> pricing arrangements? These are all speculations, not based
> on any facts.
> 
> I've used Imagen printers for quite a while and would buy more.
> I just wonder if they're shooting themselves in the foot.
> Maybe someone from Imagen could enlighten us.
> 
> Jon Forrest
> ucbvax!mtxinu!blia!forrest

IMAGEN is NOT getting out of the end-user business.  It is very
reasonable to assume that IMAGEN will be producing DDL printers
for  the  end user (as well as for other oems),  including full
compatibility  with their current product line (imPRESS, etc.).

You may safely continue to buy IMAGEN printers with  confidence
in  continued  end-user  support  from  IMAGEN  and  that  your
investment in imPRESS applications is protected.

In article <1185@blia.BLI.COM> forrest@blia.BLI.COM (Jon Forrest) writes:
>HP wants to upgrade its printer line so it makes a deal with Imagen
>to use DDL. This means that Imagen's printers (using Impress)
>will be competing with HP's printers (using DDL). Given the

I doubt it.  The imPRESS language that our 8/300 runs is on floppy.
They could easily distribute a floppy that lets the printer take DDL
input.  They could even conceivably support postscript :-).  I don't
know if the newer models of Imagen printers have their languages on
floppies or not, but then you could always just change the roms.

Sean
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