Lexmark announces more Web-connected inkjet printers

Justin Yu | Sep 02, 2009

Lexmark Platinum Pro905 (Credit: Lexmark)

Not to be outdone by HP's Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web, Lexmark on Tuesday rolled out a new line of printers, three of which will will feature a touch screen to access the Web. Although both companies claim to have the rights to the "world's first Web-connected printer," Lexmark's new product line is aimed at the business market rather than the consumer.

The Lexmark Solution Center already has several existing applications that users can easily download onto the machine with a touch of a virtual button. Some additions including a photo viewer, application shortcuts, RSS headline aggregators, and Google Calendar. Lexmark tells us that more applications are on their way and will roll out as they're developed.

Lexmark Interact S605 (Credit: Lexmark)

Although only three of the new releases will include the SmartSolutions Web connectivity, five of the eight will feature 802.11n wireless as well as a new eco-friendly mode that automatically changes the driver settings to two-sided printing to save on the cost of consumables.

The final addition is a convenient business card scan feature that automatically inputs contact info to commonly-used personal information management applications like Microsoft Outlook and Palm OSTM. I had the opportunity to see all of the new features in action and was impressed with its accuracy. Unfortunately, the Mac OS Address Book is not supported at this time.

The offering is also labeled with Lexmark's new, simplified nomenclature to make it easier for consumers to distinguish between products and features, which break down into two lines: The Professional Series (including the Platinum, Prestiage, Prevail, and Prospect) and the Home Office Series (Interact, Intuition, Interpret, and Impact). Prices start at US$99 for the Impact and scale up to US$399 for the Platinum, which includes dual paper trays and the SmartSolutions touch screen.

Pricing and availability for the inkboxes in Asia will be updated soon.

Via Crave CNET

Filed under: Printers
Leave a comment | Bookmark | Share