A new version of the HP 5000 D640 printer uses the Multiple Original Prints (MOPY) technology to boost output speed to 40-pages per minute for a device that easily connects to HP 3000 systems.
HP first introduced the D640 last year, and some customers viewed it as a potential replacement solution for the workhorse 2680 system printers attached to HP 3000s for jobs such as paycheck runs and massive report printing. After a year of putting the solution in the field at sites including HP 3000s, the newest version of the printer is adding capacity for input and output and speeding its print process by using MOPY.
Customers have been trying to get the MOPY process working on HP 3000s from the desktop LaserJet line of printers without much success, according to reports posted on the Internet this summer. The D640 uses a faster memory image of each page to be printed to print additional copies, regardless of document complexity.
The printer hasn't been without problems during its first year of use at HP 3000 sites. Paper jams were reported by multiple customers, and HP System Peripherals Group Business Manager Curt Dowdy confirmed that a shipping carton design problem caused damage to some units. He also said that large inventory of roller shafts were machined incorrectly, but claimed that HP has since resolved the problem.
"At this point we consider the D640 stable," Dowdy said. "There were a few glitches along the way with the high capacity output accessory, but our support team reports that the calls they're getting [since July 1] are problems we have fixes for already."
Jon Backus, HP Systems Manager for direct mail outsourcing company AB&C Group, said he's been using the high capacity input and output features "and we pretty much push the limits listed on the literature." Backus reported "a lot of paper jams and breaking up of the paper trays."
But some 3000 customers have already discovered that even with these reliability problems, the D640 is a faster printer than the C30 and C40 printers -- HP's previous candidates for replacing the 2680s. "People are running the D640 at much higher capacities than the previous C-series printers." Dowdy said. "That's says something about how customers perceive the ruggedness of this machine."
HP has raised the price of the printer slightly with the new version of the device, reflecting some increased capability and capacity. The device now costs $1,000 more at $15,995. A new 3,000-sheet high capacity output stacker is also available at $4,500, a $505 increase over the previous 2000-sheet output device. The new D640 also includes a larger 1.2-Gb hard disk onboard the printer, while the original model had an 840-Mb drive.
Dowdy said HP has added the MOPY capability to eliminate workflow processes at companies that printed one copy of a document and then took that page to a copier to higher speed printing. The D640 doesn't send multiple copies of a document over the network for multiple impressions, as its predecessor did. HP also added automatic recognition for TIFF files and VIP technology for print-on-demand applications to the enhanced D640.
HP says that the D640 is a more cost-effective choice than desktop LaserJets for companies that print more than 90,000 pages a month. The company's figures on cost of ownership showed that at 300,000 pages of output per month -- the D640's maximum output -- the printer costs $3,560 monthly compared to the $4,270 for the QMS 4060 and $4,325 for the Dataproducts Typhoon 40.
HP began shipping the enhanced D640s this month. Customers who already own the device can get the new features for free, if they're on a current maintenance contract with HP.