Whether it’s your health or the printer industry, getting a second opinion is always helpful. We talked about the general drop in printer consumables sales back in January based on an IDC study covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the first half of 2009. But what about the whole world for all of 2009? Top industry consulting firm Lyra Research, Inc. has analyzed the global ink and toner market from all of last year, and according to their newly released Hard Copy Supplies Advisory Service forecast, revenue decreased 2% from 2008. According to the press release headline, this is the first revenue drop in industry history.

Not surprisingly, Lyra attributes the drop to the recession. Apparently there was an “oversupply of printer hardware, cartridges, and media… in late 2008 and early 2009, and dealers responded by drastically cutting inventory levels.” In other words, it seems that because businesses and individuals weren’t buying as much from resellers due to tighter budgets, resellers weren’t ordering as much from manufacturers, resulting in a revenue drop.

However, the news isn’t all bad. According to Lyra analysts, there are two areas that show some notable growth potential in the next couple of years – ink for desktop inkjet printers, and toner for color laser MFPs. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem like the report is telling us anything we didn’t know already, at least in a general sense. The economy is cyclical, and right now we’re still in a downturn. That said, while most of us went through a tough year in 2009, it’s nice to hear multiple trusted sources tell us that reports of the printer industry’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.

(Photo via Morguefile)

Apparently the green movement is in full effect in the printer industry, as evidenced by the recent emergence of products like reusable paper, biomass toner, soy-based ink and toner, and a printer that uses coffee grounds as ink. Now you can add one more buzzworthy eco-minded product to the growing list – a design for a printer that prints with pencil shavings. According to the website, you turn on the printer and stick a half-used pencil stub into the side slot. The internal mechanism then grinds up the lead (or graphite) into a sort of toner while separating the wood casing for disposal. The toner then gets printed onto the paper as it passes through the printer. So in theory, you reduce cost per page for ink, and you reduce waste because you can erase and reuse the same sheet of paper.

Yes, it’s just a design, but I have some serious questions about the viability of this product. First off, why does it only hold one page at a time? And if printouts are in pencil, won’t they fade too easily? Would anyone really want to take the time and effort to erase a printed page by hand? Also, why aren’t there slots for color pencils so you can print color text and images? I could come up with a few more, but you get the idea. Buying one of these printers would be like trading in your car for a pogo stick – yes, using it may be better for the environment, but it kind of defeats the purpose of technology. In any case, let’s hope the designers go back to the drawing board and come up with something practical and eco-friendly.

(Story via Ubergizmo.com; Photo via Yankodesign.com)

The spec sheet for the Brother MFC-495CW says it’s a $129.99 inkjet all-in-one that prints, scans, copies and faxes. It also has Ethernet and Wi-Fi, PC-free photo printing via PictBridge, USB Flash and memory card, a 15 page ADF, and a 3.3” color LCD screen for previewing and editing photos. OEM cost per page for ink is 4.7 cents per B/W page and 13 cents per color page, while compatible cost per page is 1.1 cents per B/W page and 5.5 cents per color page. Also, while there’s a separate 20 sheet photo paper tray to go with the 100 sheet plain paper tray, it’s not an automatic photo tray – you’ll need to manually switch trays to go between printing documents and photos. So on the surface, it seems like a pretty good value for the price. But do the critics agree? The initial online feedback is in, and the reviews are lukewarm.

ComputerShopper.com gives the MFC-495CW a forgettable 5.5 out of 10. The review praises the attractive and practical design and user interface. But apparently beauty is only skin-deep – print speeds are slow, print quality is average, and paper handling is cumbersome and often requires “trial and error” to figure out.

Sarah Meyer of PrinterComparison.com gives the MFC-495CW a solid 3.5 stars out of 5. The printer is easy to set up and easy to use, and contrary to the ComputerShopper.com review, print and photo quality are considered pretty good. On the flip side, while print speeds are on par with other inkjet all-in-ones, they’re notably slower than the advertised 35 ppm in black. Also, after repeatedly printing in normal mode at a ratio of 3 pages of black and white text for every 1 color page, the LC61Y and LC61M ink cartridges ran out after around 298 pages (reported page yield for each color cartridge is 325 pages), and the printer wouldn’t print until the LC61Y was replaced.

Finally, Peter Piazza of About.com gives the MFC-495CW a mediocre 3 stars out of 5. He agrees that print speed is slow, and he wishes the printer had auto-duplexing. Also, if you have Windows 7, you can’t install the drivers from the included CD; you’ll need to visit the Brother website. But despite the shortcomings, Piazza considers this all-in-one a solid value that rolls out high quality photos at a reasonable price.

We already know that major printer makers are offering consulting and IT services to go along with their products. But what about major retailers that sell printers made by a wide range of manufacturers? Staples has recently jumped on the printer services bandwagon with its Staples Contract Division, which includes a Staples Printing Solutions component. The catalog offers printers, printer supplies, on-site services and consulting from trained IT staff and technicians, medical and specialty imaging equipment, specialized software to help you oversee your printer fleet, and more.

I think the program makes a lot of sense. Office networks can get complicated with all the interconnected computers and printers. But with the economy the way it is, maybe it’s cheaper to outsource your IT needs instead of hiring an in-house staff. Also, if you can get all your products and services from one place, it can make transactions simpler and more efficient. Of course, having a full-time IT staff on-site with an intimate, day-to-day knowledge of your systems can help you get your issues solved faster, but how much more can you spend before you hit the point of diminishing returns? Anyway, my feeling is that more diversity on a retailer’s menu of products and services can never hurt, especially as businesses search for creative ways to save money.

(Story via TheRecycler.com; Photo via MorgueFile)

The Lexmark Interact S605 is an inkjet MFP that prints, scans and copies. It features an auto-duplexer so you can print on both sides of the page, PC-free photo-printing via memory card and PictBridge, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a 4.3” color LCD touchscreen that gives you access to Lexmark’s customizable web apps. So on paper, the Interact S605 looks like a capable and flexible option for your home or small office. But is it as good as advertised? Some web experts have interacted face-to-face with the Interact, and the reception is positive.

Jonathan Rougeot of ComputerShopper.com gives the Interact S605 a very good 7.7 out of 10. Setup is easy, the LCD is easy to view and use, and paper loading and handling are smooth. The web apps work well, but while you can use them without your PC, you’ll need to visit the SmartSolutions website in order to download new apps and change any settings. Print, scan and copy speeds are fast and print quality is impressive, although photo quality decreases as size increases.

Peter Piazza of About.com gives the Interact S605 an excellent 4.5 stars out of 5. He really likes the touchscreen design and customizable SmartSolutions web apps. In addition, Wi-Fi is easy to set up. Most of the web apps are easy to configure as well, although some of them may require more advanced understanding of networking. Also, Piazza notes that the tilting touchscreen can be tough to close. As far as performance goes, print speed and quality are solid.

Sandy Berger of HardwareSecrets.com echoes most of the sentiments in the previous reviews regarding solid printer performance and the cool touchscreen. She does have a couple notable critiques though. First off, while installing the printer drivers with Windows XP was fine, she had trouble with Windows Vista. Also, Berger “had some difficulty in getting the website to recognize the printer” and in setting up the applications. In other words, while the web apps and touchscreen have their benefits, the review concludes that improved setup and ease of use would help owners unlock the printer’s full potential.