Dell releases new all-in-one inkjet printer

Dell Inc. wrapped up its first year in the printer market with the introduction of a new all-in-one printer for consumers and small business customers, the company said Monday at Comdex in Las Vegas.

The Dell A960 is a printer, copier and fax machine in a single package, said Phil Ventimiglia, senior manager for product marketing in Dell’s imaging business. The A960 adds an automatic document feeder that can hold up to 50 pages, and can operate as a stand-alone fax machine rather than having to be connected to a PC, he said.

Small businesses still do a large amount of faxing in the e-mail age, mostly to send invoices to their customers, Ventimiglia said. The built-in fax modem in the A960 will allow those customers to use the machine even if their PC is turned off, he said.

The printer comes with Dell’s ink management technology, which alerts users to cartridges with low ink levels and can be used to reorder cartridges through Dell’s Web site. Although the printer is based on technology developed with Lexmark International Inc., Dell does not use the technology that Lexmark uses to detect and shut down third-party ink cartridges in its printers, Ventimiglia said.

The A960 will cost $179 after a $20 instant rebate. By using an instant rebate, Dell reserves the right to change the price of the product without actually having to alter the list price, Ventimiglia said.

The A960 is immediately available in North America, and will be rolled out to other regions of the world over the next few months, Ventimiglia said.

With Monday’s announcement, Dell now sells four inkjet printers for consumers and small businesses and five laser printers for larger organizations, Ventimiglia said. Its entrance into the printer market earlier this year was seen as a move to capture market share from rival Hewlett-Packard Co., which enjoys a commanding share of the printer market and a profitable business that helps offset losses from its server group.