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Kodak enters consumer inkjet industry

Press release from the issuing company

Feb. 6, 2007--Eastman Kodak Company today entered the consumer inkjet industry with a revolutionary new product line for the home. KODAK EASYSHARE All-in-One Printers will enable consumers to affordably print crisp, sharp documents and KODAK lab-quality photos at home using premium, pigment-based inks that will save consumers up to 50 percent on everything they print. The three new printers provide ultimate levels of print quality and ease-of-use, while offering low total cost of ownership compared to other leading consumer inkjet printers on the market. "After today, the inkjet market will never be the same," said Antonio M. Perez, chairman and chief executive officer, Eastman Kodak Company. "We are changing the rules in this industry to ensure that consumers can affordably print what they want, when they want, easily and at the high level of Kodak quality they've come to expect." "For far too long, people have felt restrained from printing due to the high cost of ink," Perez said. "Our new system gives consumers the freedom to print documents and photos frequently, easily and affordably with exceptional quality that lasts a lifetime under typical home display conditions. Our extensive history in printing, combined with our legendary dedication to the consumer, puts us in a unique position to revolutionize inkjet printing." Finally - Inks for People Who Like to Print The KODAK EASYSHARE AiO Printers use Kodak's premium, pigment-based ink, priced at $9.99 for a cartridge of black ink and $14.99 for a five-ink color cartridge (US MSRP). For every $15 spent on color ink and $10 spent on black ink, consumers can print the same number of pages at half the cost of other consumer inkjet printers. When the KODAK Photo Value Pack is purchased, a 4 x 6-inch photo costs as little as 10 cents per print. According to a study by InfoTrends, the greatest obstacle to printing at home is the cost of ink and supplies. "For years, the high price of inkjet cartridges has kept consumers from freely using their printers," said Perez. "With affordable premium inks, families can now create crisp documents and KODAK lab-quality photos at home." All-In-One Printers Available in March - Featuring KODACOLOR Technology The KODAK EASYSHARE AiO Printers feature exclusive KODACOLOR Technology that enables consumers to cost-effectively print crisp documents and KODAK lab-quality photos. KODACOLOR Technology is a combination of four key elements--pigment-based inks, micro-porous photo papers, color and image science, and the Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) print head--that deliver outstanding results for general-purpose printing of text and graphics and stunning color photos that are sharp and vibrant. -- The KODAK EASYSHARE 5100 All-in-One Printer ($149.99 US MSRP), featuring print, scan and copy capabilities, delivers high-quality documents and photos for users who enjoy printing without limitations. The device can print and copy up to 32 pages per minute in black and 22 pages per minute in color, and print photos from PICTBRIDGE-enabled cameras without involving a PC. -- The KODAK EASYSHARE 5300 All-in-One Printer ($199.99 US MSRP) builds on the 5100's features by offering a 3-inch color LCD display that enables photo viewing and cropping directly from the printer. Memory card slots provide an additional quick and simple way to print digital pictures without a PC. -- The KODAK EASYSHARE 5500 All-in-One Printer ($299.99 US MSRP) is the perfect solution for home-office users and connected families who want to do it all with no constraints. In addition to sharing the features of the 5100 and 5300 printers, the 5500 has fax functionality and includes a 2.4-inch color LCD display, an automatic document feeder and a duplexer attachment. Beginning in March 2007, the KODAK EASYSHARE 5100 and 5300 AiO Printers will retail exclusively at Best Buy locations across the United States. The 5500 is expected to begin shipping in May 2007. Online shoppers will be able to purchase the printers in April 2007 at the KODAK Store (www.kodak.com). Kodak Spills the Ink on the High Cost of Printing Kodak's unique marketing campaign for its inkjet solutions, which is intended to raise awareness of the high cost of printing in the consumer inkjet market, is being previewed at a launch event held today at NBC Studios in New York City. The company also introduced a new Web site - www.inkisit.com - to provide consumers with an entertaining look at issues surrounding traditionally high-cost ink. The site includes interactive games; videos of a comedic, mock-TV show called "Ink Is It"; a print-cost calculator for consumers to determine how much they are currently spending on ink; and detailed information about the new line of products. Over the next few months, Kodak will release several new videos, introduce new prize contests and provide other interactive, consumer-oriented features on the Web site. "For too long, consumers have complained that ink costs too much; that quality, durability and longevity is not good enough; and that printers are too hard to use," Perez said. "That stops today - because of Kodak and our revolutionary approach to inkjet."