COMPETITIVE MODEL: Canon imagerunner 9070 The Canon imagerunner 9070 is a 90 page per minute (ppm) unit that offers standard standalone copy and optional network print, scan and Internet fax functionality. Equipped with 512 MB of RAM and a 20 GB hard drive (both non-upgradeable), the device offers up to 100 user inboxes for document storage. This unit offers two optional print controllers: the Network Multi-PDL Printer Kit-F1 developed by Canon and the imagepass-m3, developed by EFI. Network scan functionality can be added via either the optional Universal Send or by installing ecopy ShareScan. In addition, this device supports MEAP functionality, which allows users to purchase or develop Java-based applications to suit their unique business needs. Highlights of the bizhub PRO 920 Robust Feature Set The Konica Minolta bizhub PRO 920 is a 92 ppm unit offering standard standalone copy and optional network print and scan functionality. Equipped with standard 256 MB of RAM (upgradeable to 512 MB) and a 40 GB hard disk drive, the device offers document storage for up to 3,000 documents in up to 1,000 user boxes. Network print and scan functionality can be added via the optional IC-203 print controller. In addition, this device supports advanced document management and communication features via the PageScope suite of software utilities. The bizhub PRO handles paper up to 12 x 18, allowing users to create full-bleed ledger-size output. This device s advantages include: More HDD storage: A 40 GB hard disk drive is included standard with the bizhub PRO 920, offering double the storage capacity available with the imagerunner 9070 s 20 GB hard disk drive. More user boxes: Both devices come standard with the ability to create user boxes, which can be used to store both private and public documents. However, the bizhub PRO 920 lets users create 1,000 user boxes ten times the number of user boxes as the imagerunner 9070, which limits the number of user mail boxes to 100. The bizhub PRO 920 was the only product to be named a Fall 2005 BLI Pick as Outstanding Segment 6 Multifunctional Imaging System. Among the reasons cited were its strong reliability, very good ease of use and good productivity. Handling media ranging in size up to 12 x 18 and in weight to 110- lb. index from all paper sources and available with a wide range of finishing options, the bizhub PRO 920 is wellsuited to the paperhandling demands of production environments The bizhub PRO 920 is the fastest among competitive models for producing booklets in print mode. Fall 2005 BLI PICK Citation 1
Full-bleed ledger output: The bizhub PRO 920 handles paper up to 12" x 18" from either its 150-sheet bypass, or its optional 4,000-sheet large capacity feeder, which allows users to create high volume full-bleed ledger-size output, preserving margins and crop marks as well as handling two-page spreads and ledger-size spreadsheets without losing any information close to the margins. In contrast, the imagerunner 9070 handles paper only as large as 11" x 17", meaning it can t be used for full-bleed ledger printing or copying. Extensive finishing: Finishing features include saddle-stitching of up to 20 ledger-size sheets to produce 80-page booklets. The imagerunner 9070 can fold and saddle-stitch up to only 15 sheets to create 60-page booklets 25% less capacity than bizhub PRO 920 users can create. Additionally, the bizhub PRO 920 s saddle-stitch finisher costs less than half the price charged for the imagerunner 9070 s saddle-stitch finisher ($5,050, compared to $10,500). Price advantage: BLI s Field Test Report on the imagerunner 9070 with the Fiery print controller noted, The imagerunner 9070, configured as a copier/printer with PostScript 3 printing, saddle-stitch finishing and a reversing automatic document feeder (RADF) has a suggested retail price (SRP) that is the highest for similarly equipped models available. Comparing apples to apples, the imagerunner 9070 with its low-end network print option plus PostScript 3, saddle-stitch finishing, RADF and the Universal Send scan option has a suggested retail price of $54,400 or, if the more expensive imagepass-m3 print controller is selected, a retail price of $59,050. In contrast, a bizhub PRO 920 with the exact same capabilities has a suggested list price of $46,610 a 16.7% price advantage over the cheapest print/scanenabled imagerunner 9070 configuration, and a 26.6% price advantage over the more expensive imagerunner 9070 configuration. Better Functionality When compared head to head, the bizhub PRO 920 has a superior feature set to the imagerunner 9070. Among the bizhub PRO 920 s advantages: Easier PostScript 3 useability: The Konica Minolta developed PostScript 3 Visual print driver offers a graphical interface that is very easy to navigate for programming simple or complex jobs. In contrast, the Adobe PostScript 3 print driver for the imagerunner 9070 with imagepass-m3 print controller is a Fiery print driver, which is text-based and more difficult to navigate for programming even basic print jobs. In its Field Test report on the imagerunner 9070 with the imagepass-m3 print controller, BLI noted, the Adobe PostScript 3 driver and PCL 6 driver do not have a similar look and feel throughout, which BLI technicians consider a drawback. A consistent layout among drivers for a device benefits users who need to switch between the PCL and Adobe PostScript 3 drivers for different types of jobs, making navigation through screens easier. BLI had a very different opinion of the print drivers on the bizhub PRO 920, saying in its Field Test Report, The PostScript 3 Visual print driver (Adobe PostScript 3) used in testing is graphical and easy to use. The report also noted that the PCL and PostScript 3 print drivers for the bizhub PRO 920 feature a similar setup. Program more copy jobs while another is running: The imagerunner 9070 has only five copy reserve slots in total, meaning users can only program four additional copy jobs while a job is in progress. Contrast this with the bizhub PRO 920, which lets users program up to 99 copy jobs (limited only by available memory) while another copy or print job is in progress more than 20 times the number of jobs that can be programmed ahead on the imagerunner 9070. SHORTCOMINGS of the imagerunner 9070 The bizhub PRO 920 earned a Five Star rating in BLI s field test, while the imagerunner 9070 earned a Four and a Half Star rating. Additionally, the bizhub PRO 920 was awarded a Fall 2005 BLI Pick for Outstanding Segment 6 Copier-Based Multifunctional System. Among the shortcomings of the imagerunner 9070 cited in BLI s Field Test Report: Below-average performance in some copy and print productivity tests. More frequent service intervention is required due to the unit s below-average preventive maintenance (PM) schedule (250,000 impressions). In addition, more frequent user intervention is required due to the unit s toner yield (36,600 impressions), which is one of the lowest for the group, and its below-average bypass capacity (50 sheets). The unit allows users to reserve only up to four additional copy jobs while a copy or print job is in progress. Many competitive units are only limited by memory resources. From BLI s Field Test Report 2
Outstanding image quality: The bizhub PRO 920 earned a Five Star rating for image quality in BLI s Field Test Report. Better toner technology: The bizhub PRO 920 uses Konica Minolta s proprietary Simitri polymerized toner, which employs toner particles that are smaller, smoother and more uniform in size than toner particles produced by traditional pulverization techniques, resulting in more even halftones, more accurate text and better grayscales. Additionally, BLI s Field Test Report on the bizhub PRO 920 noted, Products that use Simitri toner have had consistently high toner yields in BLI s in-house lab tests. In addition, new developer and fusing design advancements have been made to enhance imaging and increase yields, according to the company. The toner s lower fusing point enhances image quality because pre-printed stocks are less susceptible to fuser damage, less curl is produced and images are more consistent. Proof print: The bizhub PRO 920 offers Proof Print capability from its PostScript 3 driver. This valuable function, which allows users to print a single set of a multi-set job for final proofreading before releasing the entire job, is not available on the imagerunner 9070 s imagepass-m3 print controller. Main Screen of the Visual PostScript Driver PostScript Print Driver Fast Print and Copy Times In its citation of the bizhub PRO 920 as a Fall 2005 Pick as Outstanding Segment 6 Multifunctional Imaging System, BLI stated, The bizhub PRO is at the head of its class in print productivity the bizhub PRO 920 s overall copy efficiency is the best tested to date in simplex mode. The award citation also noted that the bizhub PRO 920 is the fastest of competitive models for producing booklets in print mode, and displayed the highest print efficiency for the group in both simplex and duplex mode. When BLI subjected both the bizhub PRO 920 and the imagerunner 9070 to identical productivity and efficiency tests, the bizhub PRO 920 was clearly far more productive than the imagerunner 9070 in virtually every category. For example: Copier efficiency is higher in all three modes tested: BLI s test results showed that the bizhub PRO 920 s copy efficiency is better than that of the imagerunner 3
9070 7.6% higher in 1:1 mode, 10.7% higher in 1:2 mode and 12.5% higher in 2:2 mode.* Print efficiency is higher in simplex: In simplex mode, overall efficiency for PostScript 3 printing was 71.1% on the bizhub PRO 920. Contrast this with Post- Script simplex efficiency of only 56.5% on the imagerunner 9070.* Print efficiency is higher in duplex: In 1:2 mode, the bizhub PRO 920 again showed better productivity than the imagerunner 9070, producing prints at an average 67.5% efficiency, versus the imagerunner 9070 s efficiency of only 49.2%.* Faster document feeder: The rated speed of the bizhub PRO 920 s automatic document feeder is 92 originals per minute (opm), while the imagerunner 9070 s document feeder has a rated speed of only 80 opm. This means bizhub PRO 920 users have their documents fed, and output, at the device s rated engine speed, while imagerunner 9070 users can t copy from the document feeder faster than 80 ppm, despite the device s rated engine speed of 92 ppm. Fastest first copy from the document feeder: BLI s Lab Test report said that the bizhub PRO 920 produced the fastest first copy from the document feeder among all competitive products tested, at 4.5 seconds, versus the imagerun- NER 9070 s 5.8 seconds.* * Data from BLI s Field and Lab Test Reports. Because of its outstanding image quality and print productivity, very good copy productivity and competitive overall ease of use and price point, BLI gives the bizhub PRO 920 an overall Field Tested Rating of Five Stars. From BLI s Field Test Report Productivity-Enhancing Features The bizhub PRO 920 doesn t just let users work faster. It lets them work smarter. The bizhub PRO 920 delivers more of the features businesses need to keep their workflow moving without interruption, including: Triple the bypass capacity: The bizhub PRO 920 s production-level bypass feeder handles up to 150 sheets at a time, making it easy to run large jobs using the bypass feeder as a paper source. The bypass on the imagerunner 9070 handles only 50 sheets, so imagerunner 9070 users spend a lot more time reloading the bypass tray if they use it as a paper source for large-run jobs. Large-capacity tray handles 12" x 18" media: While both units offer optional large capacity trays (LCTs) for either letter- or ledger-size paper, only the bizhub 920 s ledger-size LCT can handle paper up to 12" x 18" to accommodate full-bleed ledger jobs. Wider range of paper weights: Although both devices handle up to 110-lb. index, the Canon imagerunner 9070 can t handle paper weights lighter than 17- lb. bond. In contrast, the bizhub PRO 920 s paper drawers can feed paper weights as light as 13-lb. bond, which gives users a wider range of media types that can be used when copying or printing. Less user intervention: The bizhub PRO 920 s toner yield, at 66,000 impressions, is approximately 80% higher than the imagerunner 9070 s toner yield (36,600impressions). This means users do not have to stop what they re doing to replace toner nearly as often on the bizhub PRO 920. Less service intervention: The bizhub PRO 920 s preventive maintenance schedule is twice as long as that of the imagerunner 9070 (500,000 impressions, versus 250,000 impressions), so the bizhub PRO 920 makes twice as many copies and prints as the imagerunner 9070 before it requires preventive maintentance. 4
BUYERSLABORATORYINC BUYERSLABORATORYINC Competitive Analysis Higher monthly volume: Konica Minolta s recommended monthly volume for the bizhub PRO 920, at 750,000 impressions, is 50% higher than that of the imagerun- NER 9070, which has a recommended monthly volume of only 500,000 impressions. That means users of the bizhub PRO 920 can expect the device to spend significantly less downtime being serviced and more time being productive in the workplace. Fewer service calls. The bizhub PRO 920 offers a preventive maintenance (PM) schedule that is twice as long as the imagerunner 9070 s, allowing the bizhub PRO 920 to run twice as long as the imagerunner 9070 before it has to be serviced (500,000 impressions versus 250,000 impressions). More economical: When you compare supplies costs on both devices, the bizhub PRO 920 is the better choice for the bottom line. According to BLI s Lab Test Reports on both devices, the bizhub PRO 920 s toner cost per page is 0.148, versus the imagerunner 9070 s toner cost of 0.215 per page a cost difference of 45.2%. Similarly, supplies costs are 0.192 per page on the bizhub PRO 920, versus the imagerunner 9070 s supplies cost of 0.215 per page a difference of nearly 12%. Those pennies can add up to thousands of dollars more spent on imagerunner 9070 toner and supplies over the course of a year. Konica Minolta Awards BUYERS LABORATORY BUYERS LABORATORY 2005 INC INC Other Highlights of the bizhub PRO 920 The bizhub PRO 920 s advantages don t stop with reliability and productivity. It also offers: Award-winning design: BLI selected this robust 92 ppm device with a Fall 2005 BLI Pick for Outstanding Multifunctional Imaging System, BLI cited the bizhub PRO 920 s strong reliability, outstanding productivity and very good image quality as among the top reasons why. Certified Reliable: After the bizhub PRO 920 completed a rigorous two-month, 750,000-impression durability test, not only did BLI certify this device as highly reliable but the bizhub PRO 920 also earned a Fall 2005 BLI Pick as a result of its exemplary performance. Range of useful utilities: The bizhub PRO 920 comes standard with PageScope Net Care, which provides network administrators with detailed information about operating conditions on all output devices containing a Management Information Base (MIB) on a network from any Web browser, as well as PageScope Web Connection, which lets users check device conditions on all network-connected Konica Minolta printers and copiers from their desktop PCs. PageScope Direct Print lets users print native TIFF files without having to open them first, and if the PostScript option is installed, this utility also lets users directly print PDF files. Plus, PageScope Job Spooler enables viewing of print queues and lets users easily reprint jobs and change priority of jobs in the queue. Optional utilities are also available to handle a wide range of applications including document management and OCR, variable data printing, file format conversion, imposition, routing and bill-back. A plug-in is also available allowing the device to work with HP s popular Web JetAdmin administrative utility. Fast, Flexible Network Scanning: Scan to email, FTP, SMB (desktop) or Box (digital mailbox) at 92opm. Even scan to preselected groups of destinations in a few quick keystrokes. Add PageScope Workware or Router for a complete document distribution solution. Iron-clad Security: The bizhub PRO 920 is ISO 15408 (Common Criteria) EAL-3 certified and includes robust security features such as enhanced security mode, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 20 05 T E S T E D T E S T E D 5
memory/hdd data overwrite, account tracking, user authentication, secure print, and password protected user boxes with 3 levels of security. More economical: When you compare supplies costs on both devices, the bizhub PRO 920 is the better choice for the bottom line. According to BLI s Lab Test Reports on both devices, the bizhub PRO 920 s toner cost per page is 0.148, versus the imagerunner 9070 s toner cost of 0.215 per page a cost difference of 45.2%. Similarly, supplies costs are 0.192 per page on the bizhub PRO 920, versus the imagerunner 9070 s supplies cost of 0.215 per page a difference of nearly 12%. Those pennies can add up to thousands of dollars more spent on imagerunner 9070 toner and supplies over the course of a year. SUMMING UP Offering higher productivity at a lower price, as well as a longer PM schedule, higher toner yield, higher recommended monthly volume, larger range of paper sizes and paper weights handled and, of course, outstanding image quality it s no wonder the bizhub PRO 920 was selected as a Fall 2005 BLI Pick for Outstanding Segment 6 Copier-Based Multifunctional Product. Proving its ability to handle heavy volumes in a rigorous 750,000-impression reliability test, the bizhub PRO 920 is a certified-reliable workhorse that won t break the workflow or the budget. 6
Specifications at a Glance Konica Minolta bizhub PRO 920 Canon imagerunner 9070 Domestic Intro Date Sept-05 Feb-05 Base SRP $39,000 $39,000 SRP (fully configured) 1 $46,610 $54,400 SRP (fully configured) 2 $46,610 $59,050 Rated Engine Speed 92 ppm 90 ppm Network Printing Optional Optional Recommended Monthly Volume Up to 750,000 copies Up to 500,000 copies First-Copy Time 3.3 seconds 2.8 seconds Warm-up Time 6 minutes 6 minutes Std Paper Capacity 2,000 sheets 4,100 sheets Paper Weights 13-lb. bond to 110-lb. index 17-lb. bond to 110-lb. index Bypass Capacity 150 sheets 50 sheets Paper Weights 13-lb. bond to 110-lb. index 17-lb. bond to 110-lb. index Max. Paper Sources 5 6 Max. Paper Capacity 6,650 sheets 7,650 sheets Min. Output Size 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 4-1/8 x 5-7/8 Max. Output Size 12 x 18 11 x 17 Scan Resolution 600 x 600 dpi 600 x 600 dpi Copy Resolution 600 x 600 dpi 1200 x 600 dpi Copier Memory (std/max) 256 MB / 512 MB 512 MB / 512 MB Copier Hard Drive Standard 40 GB Standard 20 GB Document Feeder Standard RADF Standard RADF Speed 92 opm 80 opm Capacity 100 originals 100 originals Paper Weights 13-lb. bond to 110-lb. index 13-lb. bond to 110-lb. index PM Schedule 500,000 250,000 Drum Yield 1,000,000 5,000,000 Toner Yield 66,000 36,600 User Boxes Available 1,000 100 Program Ahead Copy Jobs 99 5 (maximum) Booklet Maker Capacity 20 sheets (80-page booklets) 15 sheets (60-page booklets) Large Capacity Tray Capacity 4,000 sheets 3,500 sheets Print Controller PDL/PCL Supported IC-203 PCL 5e/6, direct PDF and TIFF printing, opt PostScript 3 Multi-PDL Print Kit-F1 PCL 5e/6, PostScript 3 or imagepass- M3 PCL5e/6, PostScript 3 1 The Konica Minolta bizhub PRO is priced as configured with the IC-203 network printer/scanner expansion kit, PostScript 3 expansion kit, saddle-stitch finisher and 256 MB RAM upgrade. The Canon imagerunner 9070 is priced as configured with the Network Multi-PDL Kit-F1, Universal Send upgrade and saddle-stitch finisher. 2The Konica Minolta bizhub PRO is priced as configured with the IC-203 network printer/ scanner expansion kit, PostScript 3 expansion kit, saddle-stitch finisher and 256 MB RAM upgrade. The Canon imagerunner 9070 is priced as configured with the external imagepass-m3 print controller, Universal Send upgrade and saddle-stitch finisher. 7