MyHome, MyOffice, My Brother
First was HP in August, followed by Canon and Epson in September, then Lexmark last month. Brother apparently isn't letting up. It is announcing a total of nine multifunction printers targeted at home and SOHO users at a local launch today.
The company also unveiled a new range of ink and paper called Innobella--derived from the words "Innovation" and "Bella" (which means beautiful in Italian). In June this year, CNET Asia was invited to Brother's showroom in Nagoya, Japan, as well as its product facilities in Shenzhen, China, where we caught a glimpse of the new line of printers.
Tetsuo Watanabe, managing director for Brother International Singapore, said in a press release statement that he is confident the MyHome series will boost the company's market share of color inkjet MFCs locally. On a global basis, Brother also intends to pump 100 billion yen (US$853 million) into research and development by 2008 and enter new business areas like network storage and Radio Frequency (RFID) technology.
According to the Nagoya-based vendor, the inkboxes incorporate the 1.5pl (picoliter) ink drop technology and, when used with Innobella consumables, will produce printouts with "less graininess, greater sharpness and finer definition". The company also recommends the use of original inks and papers to prevent the printheads from clogging and to ensure the reliability and durability of the printers.
Other new features introduced on selected models include a dual-purpose tray that holds both A4 and 4R photo paper concurrently so users can switch between the two media effortlessly. There's also a continuous paper feed mode (available only when printing in draft quality) where the second sheet is fed into the printer while the first is still printing, which results in a faster printout time.
Brother is also doing its part for environmental conservation. The company embarked on several programs three months ago where the general public can send used ink cartridges back to its customer service center for recycling. Corporate customers also enjoy a points reward system which can be exchanged for vouchers, etc.
Four of the multifunction printers in the MyHome series are available immediately, while consumers may have to hold out for the rest of the lineup. Each model comes with a three-year carry-in warranty. Consumers can also look forward to a new Brother Web site which will be launched in a few weeks' time.
MyHome series |
MyOffice series
MyHome series
| Model name |
In a nutshell |
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Wow factor: Entry-level multifunction printer
Notable features:
Print, copy, scan, direct photo print
1.5pl ink droplet technology
Up to 25ppm (mono), 20ppm (color), 1,200 x 6,000dpi
Up to 18cpm (mono), 16cpm (color), 600 x 1,200dpi
Up to 600 x 2,400dpi optical scanning resolution
Price: S$158 (US$116.33)
Availability: Immediate
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Wow factor: Compact multifunction printer
Notable features:
Print, copy, scan, direct photo print
1.5pl ink droplet technology
Built-in 32MB memory
2.0-inch color LCD
Up to 25ppm (mono), 20ppm (color), 1,200 x 6,000dpi
Up to 18cpm (mono), 16cpm (color), 600 x 1,200dpi
Up to 600 x 2,400dpi optical scanning resolution
Price: S$218 (US$160.50)
Availability: Immediate
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Wow factor: Network-ready multifunction printer
Notable features:
Print, copy, scan, direct photo print
1.5pl ink droplet technology
Built-in network card
Up to 25ppm (mono), 20ppm (color), 1,200 x 6,000dpi
Up to 18cpm (mono), 16cpm (color), 600 x 1,200dpi
Up to 600 x 2,400dpi optical scanning resolution
Price: S$318 (US$234.13)
Availability: Immediate
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Wow factor: Entry-level multifunction printer with fax capabilities
Notable features:
Print, copy, scan, direct photo print, fax
Automatic document feeder
Up to 25ppm (mono), 20ppm (color), 1,200 x 6,000dpi
Up to 18cpm (mono), 16cpm (color), 600 x 1,200dpi
Up to 600 x 2,400dpi optical scanning resolution
Price: S$258 (US$189.95)
Availability: Immediate
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Wow factor: Multifunction printer with fax capabilities
Notable features:
Print, copy, scan, direct photo print, fax
Automatic document feeder
2.0-inch LCD
Built-in network
Up to 25ppm (mono), 20ppm (color), 1,200 x 6,000dpi
Up to 18cpm (mono), 16cpm (color), 600 x 1,200dpi
Up to 600 x 2,400dpi optical scanning resolution
Price: TBA
Availability: TBA
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Wow factor: Multifunction printer with wireless connectivity
Notable features:
Up to 27ppm (mono), 22ppm (color)
2.5-inch color LCD
Fax review feature
Up to 27ppm (mono), 22ppm (color), 1,200 x 6,000dpi
Up to 20cpm (mono), 18cpm (color), 600 x 1,200dpi
Up to 600 x 2,400dpi optical scanning resolution
Price: TBA
Availability: TBA
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Read our first take on the Brother DCP-330C.
