Lexmark has added three more products to the competitive inkjet market, launching the Z32, Z42 and Z52 Colour Jetprinters.
It is the first time Lexmark has offered inkjet printers compatible with Macintosh platforms on iMac models upwards, as well as the company's traditional PC market.
The major advantage of the new printers is speed, according to the company. The printers can achieve speeds of up to 15 pages per minute (ppm)in black and 7ppm for colour. Not to be outdone by its competitors, entry-level colour printing begins at below the $200 mark.
Unlike its competitors, the resolution of Lexmark's Z32 Colour Jetprinter, retailing for $199, is higher than any similar offering on the market at 1200 x 1200 dots per inch (dpi). The printer will be available from the end of this month.
Lexmark already offers a sub $200 printer - the Z11 - which retails for around $149.
"GFK figures indicate 90 per cent of consumers prefer to buy printers under $399 so these printers are addressing current consumer needs," said consumer products division product manager, Paul Mansell.
Available late next month, the Z42 printer is designed for high-end home use and features 2400 x 1200dpi resolution and print speeds of up to 10ppm in black and 5ppm in colour. It retails at $299.
At the top end of the releases is the Z52 Colour Jetprinter, Lexmark's photo- quality entry. With a top speed of 15ppm, Lexmark claims this printer can deliver faster output than some laser printers already on the market.
"A few years ago, to get this speed you were looking at a network laser," Mansell said. "This printer is more than 50 per cent faster than any other inkjet under $500."The Z52 also features 2400 x 1200dpi and will retail for $399. It will be available from mid-August.