IBM Unveils Two Workgroup Laser Printers

Published: August 8, 2006

by Alex Woodie

IBM last week announced two new printers, the Infoprint Color 1664 and the Infoprint Color 1654 Express. The medium-volume, high-quality laser printers are designed to replace the IBM Infoprint Color 1454 and 1464 workgroup printers, and become available Friday.

Both new printers are powered by 800 Mhz Freescale processors accessing 256 MB of standard memory, offer print speeds up to 25 pages per minute in color or black and white, and take, on average, 13 seconds to print the first monochrome image, or 15 seconds for the first color print. They both support a variety of graphic and print formats, including PCL 6, PostScript 3, and IPDS connectivity; sport "Color Care" and "ImageQuick" technology; offer encryption as an option; and include a host of diagnostic and reporting capabilities. The maximum monthly usage for the Infoprint Color 1654 Express is 100,000 impressions, while the Infoprint Color 1664 can handle 120,000 per month.

Besides price and duty cycle, what separates the Infoprint Color 1654 Express (starts at $1,077) and the Infoprint Color 1664 (starts at $1,606) are the other add-ons. Both models offer a standard 500-sheet drawer and a 100-sheet multipurpose feeder, but the Infoprint Color 1664, which stands a bit taller, can accommodate three more 500-sheet drawers, or one 500-sheet drawer and one 2,000-sheet drawer, for a maximum input capacity of 3,100 sheets. The Infoprint Color 1654 Express, by comparison, maxes out at a 1,100-sheet input capacity. The Infoprint Color 1664 also can be used with an optional output expander, a 5-bin mailbox, and StapleSmart finisher.