A lingering death
I
got my first car in 1980 when I was Junior in college. It was an
orangey-yellow Ford Maverick, a 1972 with about 70k miles on it. It was
kind of ugly, but that kind of ugliness added to its beauty in an odd
way. I wasn’t afraid to take things apart, such as my busted old
lawnmower. It was putting them back together again that messed me up.
So, when I lifted the hood of my “banana-boat” Ford, the simple
straight-six engine was distinct — pulleys, distributor, alternator,
etc. — I could really understand what I was looking at, even if I
wasn’t totally sure how it all worked. Whenever the car was in for
service, I would try to peer over the shoulder to watch what the
mechanics were doing. I didn’t want to make him nervous looking over
his shoulder. I asked if he would show me the distributor, because I
never really understood what it was and why it was such a big deal.
They used a strobe light to check the timing and I thought the whole
thing was very cool. I felt more comfortable with the whole idea of unde
rstanding
the inner workings of the engine. It was the sort of aimless
exploration and discovery that a layman could do in those years. It was
in that spirit, that I also began to dig into the fledgling
microcomputers at the time. (Nowadays, I lift up the hood my car and
don’t really know what’s what, nor would I even thing of trying to fix
anything, excepting that maybe that poking around and looking at stuff
would fix it.)

David T. Mendelson
Argecy Computer Corporation
27280 Haggerty Road C21
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
248-324-1800 x122
248-324-1900 fax
www.argecy.com
dave@argecy.com

Hello and sorry for the duration since the last column.
I went to Las Vegas for the ASCDI (Association of Computer Dealers International) show. The other major trade group, CDLA (Computer Dealers and Lessors Association), collapsed years ago and I had not been a member of ASCDI until this show. After 22 years, old dogs learn to play dead or beg.

In the news is a soon-to-be-announced/released replacement for the venerable Advanced System 36.The price of color laser printers continues to slide.  The purchase price often includes “starter” supplies.  Just wait until its time to refill.  Ouch!  More expensive than the whole machine was.  Give them the razor and sell them the blades.  Nothing new.We have made some interesting and very useful changes to our web site.  You can now use Paypal, or, if approved, we can put you on credit terms.  We can even have the web site automatically reflect your discounts.  Ask me for details.Used equipment is abundant, as demand has slowed in our sectors.  More and more users are falling into the trap.  Buy the new machines, pay out the nose for toner.  We use a color laser in house.  It has been down cold for three weeks now as the manufacturer’s technicians replace part after part.  Now they will “have to replace the machine”.  So, another unit off the skid (ouch, my back), and another setup menu navigation.  But it is shiny, the chrome gleaming like a Cheshire cat.   Sure, they’re inexpensive (relatively speaking), but the quality of the machines gives pause to new acquisitions.  Buy it refurbed- if you are going to have issues, better it not be on a brand new machine at brand-new prices.
David T. Mendelson
ARGECY.COM

EDITORIAL FROM AN IBM DEALER
It went virtually un-noticed within our industry. IBM and Ricoh timed the announcement such that no one would pay much attention. This is a shocker: Ricoh is buying IBM’s Printer Systems Division (PSD)! Ricoh has been making engines for the IBM midrange printers for some time now. It is clear that IBM wants out of the hardware business, having sold off much of its own production capacity. This move comes as quite a shock, yet there are some excellent opportunities ahead that I’ll balance against the problems this may cause.

Lets start with the positive:
The printer division gets the global resources and production excellence of Ricoh who is focused on printing equipment. Ricoh has made significant inroads into the copier segment but has not entered the low end IT market until now. The relationship with IBM on the higher end printers precluded their entry, and Lexmark’s printers were a natural choice given Lexmark’s heritage as an IBM

On the down side we have:
The loss of IBM as a technology developer and leader is a blow, but the proprietary AFP and IPDS applications are mature and stable. Clearly Ricoh will want to keep things stable while they transition, but then we can probably say goodbye to the Lexmark OEM gear in favor of Ricoh’s mature product line.Users will have a small but present learning curve with the newer engines. I don’t expect much friction to final acceptance of the Ricoh based Infoprints, but there are lumps to be taken in order to find stable platforms in the new product. Continuity will be disturbed, but I expect Ricoh to act patiently so as to avoid real headaches in transition.Ricoh has no current penetration into the IT landscape, so there are certain to be pains and aches as they learn there way through it.So far there have been no changes to anything operational regarding this buyout. I will be sure to keep you apprised of important changes as they occur.We are already beginning to familiarize ourselves with the new products, but it will be many years before the real ramifications are evident.In other news, we have successfully integrated our e-commerce site. The next step is to offer dealer login which will provide discounts. This will prove to be of great interest fo those who need parts identification, prices, and wholesale ordering 24×7.Also, as part of our technology refresh, we have integrated UPS shipping into our database management application, BIS. This multiuser application has been recently improved to allow multiple inventories and multiple locations to manage, ship, invoice and track every aspect of operations. While not currently packaged for retail sale, we would enjoy the opportunity to give you a demonstration. BIS is the result of years of development, specificallyaddressing the particular needs to collapse and explode equipment while tracking all costs.

David T. Mendelson
 dave@argecy.com

EDITORIAL FROM AN IBM DEALER
I have thought long and hard about how or if to present this one. Seems that there is a significant change on the horizion. And that may a severe understatement. Lexmark has been aggressive in its business practices, making it both a market innovator and a competitive nemesis to Hewlett Packard’s printer business. Years ago they tested the legal waters with the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) challenge to a competitor’s foray into the toner cartridge market. You may recall that in 2002, North Carolina-based Static Control Components (SCC) was sued by Lexmark under the DCMA for reverse engineering a chip to allow others’ entry into the toner cartridge business. Lexmark had cleverly engineered electronics that would not allow competitors’ toners from working. Lexmark tried to stop it, and the Supreme Court has ruled against Lexmark.

I have mentioned this several times with varying degrees of acceptance, but the days of cheap and abundant equipment are waning. There are several machine types, models , parts, and features which are tightening. Capital investment to replace infrastructure, aka durable goods, has been down for some time and we expect this to be reflected in net supply of gear in the marketplace. I dont expect this to be severe, but it does suggest a squeeze on prices in a normally deflationary market.We have accumulated a “bad-guy” list of people and companies who have displayed less than honest behavior, but we don’t really have an effective way to publish this without potential for my own exposure to lawsuits. Anyone have any ideas how e can protect each other from these rascals?I am pleased to announce that Rachel Dworkin has been promoted to outside sales representative. She’ll be focusing on after-sale support of supplies and machines.

David T. Mendelson
Argecy Computer Corporation
27280 Haggerty Road C21
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
248-324-1800 x122
248-324-1900 fax
www.argecy.com
dave@argecy.com

I have a conundrum. I had thought that taking my inventory to the internet with e-commerce would solve a lot of problems, but it has created one. Back in the old days, we would converse on the telephone. Then came voice mail. We left messages and played phone tag with aplomb. Then came email, and we learned to type and compose as well as we could. Then came instant messenger, which had all the pleasure of keyboard dancing, but with baited breath anticipation of instant response. Now we have the internet and e-commerce, which means no one has to communicate with anyone else. So, while I think the technology is awesome, the result is that I miss you!

While I'm at it, please dont forget to visit and register on our new web site. It has greatly imrpoved your access to information, documentation, work-arounds, and solutions. You can identify parts, buy and ship gear and parts on-line, and keep track of your history. Check it out . Use it. We're continually imrpoving it.

I recently set up a web camera, both here and at the tech center. At first it was fun and exciting, as new technologies often are, but the limitations soon became clear. Connections are jumpy, pixilate, cut off, have terrible sound issues, etc. It's better than not having the visual, but it seems to get in the way of real progress in meetings. The one really nice benefit, though, is that I finally get to see the people that I may have known only by voice for so long. Perhaps it has the potential to bring some human element back into the arms-length relationships we've grown accustomed to since email and IM and voice mail took over the earth. I think it may also hold some benefit for remote diagnostics. We have one set up in the refurb area in order to help our customers identify parts etc.

Speaking of technology, that shiny flat screen LCD TV in my living room wasn't all that I had hoped for. SUre the HDTV is sharp and wonderful, but the non-HD broadcasting looks terrible on the larger screen. And I have also discovered a new phrase: "ground loop" problems. I know they are the latest craze and that the whole industry is peeing its pants with excitement, but I think i'ts way overblown.

I would venture that there are at least a dozen web subscription-based listing services competing for dealer and user attention. For a fee, they'll let dealers and users establish contact and perhaps transact via the familiar e-commerce methods. That is all well and good, but which one to use? How much is it worth to belong to all of them? Well, in my estimation, pick one or two. They're all advertising the same base inventory, since there are usually only a few sources for stock in the narrow specialties being traded. Now, if only they could assure that those advertising the gear actually owned it.

Many years ago I began to try to codify a direction and stand for our company. I formulated a philosophy which has paid off handsomely to those firms that have implemented it. I wrote a white paper on the topic (click here for the whole thing) which has been overlooked by many of my dear clients. So I've cut it down to the following which bears unearthing:

With unrelenting predictablity, manufacturers indtroduce new models to replace the old, leaving users and technicans with a new learning curve with each introduction.

The answer has been and continues to be the only sane way of managing this sprial: Uniformity

Acquiring a standard machine type and model of printer over time achieves several great goals:

a) It's just like the last one, so you'll know its exact configuration, which means that
b) You can support it over time,
c) The hardware and its support gets cheaper as we go,
d) You are not at the whim of the manufacturer's or distributor's discontinuance cycle
e) The installed base is asymptotically minimizing costs.

The cost of supporting uniform networks goes down dramatically over time. When you're ready to establish the next standard, take the next jump. Leapfrog when you're ready. It's much easier to install, configure, replace, redeploy, sell, or upgrade machines that are all the same.

i) Because of your standard platforms, support costs decrease dramatically over time as you climb the learning curve. (Examples: set up, software and device driver configurations, error resolution, diagnostics, etc.)

ii) As time goes on, you take advantage of price decreases and market value deterioration while maintaining network uniformity. Capital costs decline.

iii) Your purchases can be made with an eye on attrition of your current installed base without commitment to onerous safety stock levels usually necessary to assure network uniformity.

iv) Because of the timing of your acquisitions, cash outflows will decrease.

v) Maintenance of the installed equipment becomes much less expensive as replacement parts become more abundant.

The process of initiating and maintaining uniformity requires active restriction of model specifications introduced into an organization. The concept is an integral part of minimizing total cost while "freezing" current variety until a new standard is introduced by management. It is not always possible to have absolute identicality of all equipment; It is a long term goal in reduction of variety and staunch insistance on specific platform adherence.

Highlights:
IBM 2074-002 with dual ESCON
IBM 2785 Infoprint 85
IBM 2770 Infoprint 70
IBM 4230-102, 4230-4i3
IBM 4232-302
IBM 4537-N01 Infoprint 1552n New in sealed IBM Box
IBM 4537-001 Infoprint 1552 New in sealed IBM Box
IBM 4528-001 Infoprint 1352 New in sealed IBM Box
IBM 4528-n01 Infoprint 1352n New in sealed IBM Box
IBM 4526-001 Infoprint 1226 New in sealed IBM Box
IBM 4530-001 Infoprint 1130 New in sealed IBM Box
IBM 4530-N01 Infoprint 1130n New in sealed IBM Box
IBM 4540-N01 Infoprint 1140n
IBM 4885-001 M30 MFP Scanner
IBM 4921-001 Infoprint 1354 New in sealed IBM Box
Dell M5200N
Lexmark X215 New in sealed Lexmark Box
Lexmark Optra E+
Lexmark Optra E310
Lexmark Optra E312
Lexmark Optra E322
Lexmark E323n 21S0300 New in sealed Lexmark Box
Lexmark C762n (23B0050) - Factory Refurb, 1 year on-site warranty
Lexmark Optra S1250, S1250n,S1625, S1625n
Lexmark Optra S2450, S2450n, S2455, S2455n
Lexmark Optra Se3455, Se3455n
Lexmark Optra T610n,T612n,T614,T614n,T616,T616n
Lexmark T522
Lexmark T620n, T622n
Lexmark Optra M410
Lexmark Optra W810, W820
Lexmark MarkNet Pro1 4034-103
Lexmark 4036-301 OptraImage X242
Lexmark 4036-304 OptraImage X4500
Lexmark 4036-305 Optraimage X443
Lexmark 4036-501 Optraimage X7500

David T. Mendelson
David Mendelson <dave@argecy.com>

May 2006 ARGECY Editorial
The
burdens of small business are varied and infinite.  Entrepreneurs deal
with 1001 sleepless nights.  In order to continue, we must all
constantly innovate.  
The variables that must be considered are
beyond the scope of any forward vision.  So, in the face of challenge
to position, we grow my way out.  We put
forth more effort, work
longer hours, and press on.  The strong are tested, the competition
takes on new battlefields.There’s currently an ad campaign by Comcast
that features a couple of turtles, the Slowskys.   It resonates with me
becase it seems that we are all, every one of us, constantly running,
catching up, get as much done as we can.  Almost out of breath with the
constancy of it.  “Make each moment count.”  The toll it takes, I
think, is the gradual accumulation of stresses.  Less than full sleep
requirements.  The burden is heavy.  So here’s to all my colleagues: 
Every day we hear of issues, problems, and challenges.  Add that to
gravity, and it doesn’t bode well for we mortals.  But until I can find
an alternative life, I’ll keep slaving away with a smile.  So fortunate
are we that get to carry the
world on our shoulders.  Bravo!Last
couple of weeks we learned of retirements and others leaving the
industry. This down time is taking its toll on all our patience.I’m sad
to see them go, truely some great people, but the weening taking place
in this marketplace will spur new opportunities.Things are mvoing ahead
at a good clip on our new web site.  We should have it rolled under the
Argecy  banner shortly.  One of the nice features is th ability to log
on and review your purchase history.  We will also be able to offer
discount levels for frequent and wholesale buyers.

Tighter:
IBM 2074’s-
IBM 1100 (45xx series) series (1120, 1125, 1140, 1145) (we have a few)
Lexmark Optra T622
Lexmark Optra T520
Lexmark Optra T616
Lexmark T632, T634 family
IBM 1312, 1332
IBM 4247-V03
IBM 4232-302
IBM 4224-1e3 twinax

February, 2006  Editorial
As mentioned in previous columns, I have to report that there are many machine types and models which are much “rarer” than we have seen over the past few years.  See below.
The service conundrum:  How should understaffed and overworked IT departments optimize their maintenance dollar?  No one would want to publicly announce this, but it seems that many firms have more money than time.  It’s oh so much easier to pickup the phone and call in a service technician than it is to diagnose or self maintain.  Most fixes on printing equipment are fairly simple.  The more complicated solutions often include maintenance kits which aren’t covered under maintenance anyway.  Here’s what I recommend:
Hot spares with depot repair.  The math is straightforward.  If the machines are of the desktop variety, it is often far far cheaper to send in replacement printers for those that may fail and have the failed units sent back for repair than it is to buy service agreements for  the installed base.  Its similar to the insurance sales pitch.  If you assume a worst case scenario of double the failure rate you expect, it is quite often way less expensive to have a spares/depot program in place:
– No down time.  Only the time it takes to put the newer printer in place and the failed unit back in the box and slap a label on it.
– Follow the learning curve.  It will become more easier to diagnose and repair at your leisure if you are so inclined, without leaving your users hanging
– Some users are just plain lazy and will participate in the quick fix if it avoids anything more than a phone call.
– You still own the failed units and its is almost never a total loss.
– Any money invested in replacement spares remains an asset.  Dollars that go to maintenance companies are lost when the contract expires leaving you with nothing to show for it
– It easy.  No one has to spend time on the phone describing the problem in great depth.  We can find out the issues once we get it back on the bench.
This is from IBM, you may find it useful:
The IBM Output Environment Update is a newsletter dedicated to providing ideas and information to help you match the right technology with the right applications-from office to warehouse.
Explore the IBM Output Environment Update!
As a valued customer of IBM, you are invited to explore the IBM Output Environment Update, which focuses on office and industrial printing solutions. This newsletter has been created to help you identify ways to more successfully grow your business through a trusted relationship with IBM.
Each issue will contain ideas and information to help you match the right technology with the right applications in your offices and warehouses. Invest a few minutes to learn about IBM expertise and solutions that can help you solve your output challenges-and please workgroups of all sizes.
Below you’ll find links to the inaugural issue of the IBM Output Environment Update. Learn about RFID, color, just-announced BERTL awards, and a supply chain printer ribbon promotion.
Please register to receive future issues of this newsletter directly:  https://www.printers.ibm.com/sales/psdcpctool.nsf/goenewslet ter
In this issue:
RFID-the latest trend in supply chain management
Learn about a printer that can help you simplify your transition to RFID.
Take worry and cost out of color printing with the IBM Infoprint Color 1534
Raise your comfort level with color printing. Multiple layers of security and controls to help you manage use and cost.
Introducing our newest entry-level workgroup printer that’s BIG on savings
Please your small workgroup-and your accountant-with the new IBM Infoprint 1512.
IBM wins BERTL Gold Award
Customer and reseller votes earned IBM the top ranking as Total Solution Provider.
Buyers Lab “Pick of the Year”…and the winner is…
Find out which IBM Infoprint color printer won “Pick of the Year.”
What’s better than industrial-strength printers? Free ribbons!
With the purchase of a qualifying printer and start-up supply of 12 printer ribbons, you can reduce cost of supplies for months with up to 24 free ribbons.
Look for the next issue of the IBM Output Environment Update scheduled for March 2006. If you would like to receive this newsletter directly and you haven’t already subscribed, please register:
https://www.printers.ibm.com/sales/psdcpctool.nsf/goenewslet ter
Comments/feedback
Thank you for taking a moment to read the inaugural issue. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics, please e-mail us at ibmoeu@us.ibm.com.
IBM trademarks are the property of IBM.
I-O Corporation recently announced a PC based application to act as a sophisticated print server, supporting AFP/IPDS printing to PCL based printers.  It supports up to 128 devices.  Its called the Adaptio.  There are other packages in this realm, but I-O has excellent products and experienced support staff.
Traffic trends over the past two years show an anemic “recovery” since 2004.  Unemployment is low, but as more and more jobs disappear in the manufacturing sector, the demand for capital goods remains weak.
two year trend of visitors to www.argecy.com
Did you know that the cost to maintain an IBM 4247-003 is nearly a third of its cost?  Does that mean that IBM expects 100% failure in three years?  Why is a 4230 family so much less expensive to maintain?  Because the 4230 is a better machine.  Want to convert all those twinax and coax printers to ethernet?  Check out the ACC line.
I was just informed that the cost of foam-in-place chemicals and films is going up, again.   Every time we re-order its over $1000.  It beats trying to store foam inserts, but we will have to study this and perhaps do some tinkering to see if we can reduce the amount of foam that goes in each carton without sacrificing durability.  We have been using a quite dense foam mixture for at least 15 years.  But now that equipment has generally gotten lighter (more plastic, less metal) a less dense recipe may work as well.  We will not use foam peanuts (popcorn?), or just plain bubble wrap.  The ez-packs are just too difficult to repack, and they can be dislodged during freight.
Specials
Here’s the latest hots and nots:
Sweet spots:
IBM 4000-is1/is2 with
IBM 4000-id3/id4 with CCD MICR– EXCELLENT! (  It has the Customer Changeable MICR features, so you can go back and forth between MICR and non-MICR jobs. )
IBM 2074-002’s sitting NOW!
IBM InfoPrint 1352n and 1352 (4528-n01, 4528-001) over 80 pieces sitting NEW IN BOX.
IBM 4230-102’s, and 4230-4i3’s.  This is an excellent opportunity while they are available at these low prices.  These can accommodate IPDS ETHERNET!!!
IBM InfoPrint 1228 (4928-001) – 28ppm in color! NEW in box, only two left.
Lexmark Optra E 4026-070 cute 8ppm desktop laser, by the piece or pallet
Lexmark Optra S1250, S1255, S1625, S1855’s – sitting (most with ethernet).  Over 300
Lexmark Optra S2450, and S2455 — 24ppm laser
Lexmark Optra Se3455 – 34 pages per minute and cheap-to-keep (2)
Lexmark Optra T610 — units in stock now.
Lexmark T614’s — units in stock now.
Lexmark T522’s – over 200 pieces in stock now.
Lexmark T620n’s – 20+ in stock now.
Lexmark T630’s — over 100 units in stock now.
Lexmark Optra W810 – 35ppm and 11×17 in a very solid printer, less than 10
Lexmark 4227plus- fast ASCII impact printer
IBM 4400-004 – Like new condition with ethernet and wireless ethernet
Multifunction upgrades 4036-301, 4036-305 for IBM and Lexmark machines
More trays and drawers for above lasers than I care to admit….
Tighter:
IBM 1100 (45xx series) series (1116, 1120, 1125, 1130, 1140, 1145)
(we have a few)
Lexmark Optra T622
Lexmark Optra T520
Lexmark Optra T616
Lexmark Optra T622
Lexmark T63x family
IBM 1312, 1332
IBM 4247-003
IBM 4247-V03
IBM 4232-302
IBM 4224-1e3 twinax
 
David T. Mendelson
Argecy Computer Corporation
27280 Haggerty Road C21
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
248-324-1800 x122
248-324-1900 fa
www.argecy.com
dave@argecy.com

September, 2005  Editorial

Now that the kids are back at school and our colleagues are back from vacations,
business had been picking up.  In light of the recent disaster, I would have
expected demand to pickup, as the rebuilding process begins.  SO far all I can
say is that it hasn’t materialized.   We all know that the Katrina disaster will
have an impact on all of our futures, but just how is a question.  The
rebuilding may yet create a mini boom which may more than offset the costs of
insurance claims in the long run.  (I hope that the authorities are wise enough
not to rebuild below sea level.)   It was a stark and painful reminder of how
lucky the rest of us are.

Over the years we have accumulated a “bad guy” list– dealers with questionable
business practices– which has grown to be quite extensive.  I cannot list it on
my web site for fear of legal action by those who would argue their inclusion.  
Need some info about someone you don’t know?  Contact us and we’ll see what info
we have.

Specials

Tighter:
Multifunction upgrades for IBM and Lexmark machines (we have a few)
Lexmark Optra T622
Lexmark Optra T520
Lexmark Optra T616
Lexmark Optra T610
IBM 1100 (45xx series) series (1140).
IBM 1145 (45xx series)
IBM 1312
IBM 1412
IBM 4247-003
IBM 4247-V03
IBM 4232-302
IBM 4224-1e3 twinax

David T. Mendelson

Argecy Computer Corporation

27280 Haggerty Road C21

Farmington Hills, MI 48331

248-324-1800 x122

248-324-1900 fax

www.argecy.com

dave@argecy.com

July, 2005  Editorial

Over the past 25+ years have tried virtually every method of advertising we could think of have been frustrated at each attempt.  Years ago, before the internet, advertising  was accomplished through various trade magazines and periodicals.  Slowly those shifted their focus to the burgeoning PC marketplace.  There were countless ads for KVM devices with full page exposures which detracted from those placed for used and/or refubished gear.  The costs continued to climb, and the number of third party suppliers who bought space dwindled.  Now, with the continued growth of internet advertising, notably Google, the costs have gone even higher.  It seems that the top “hits” on Google are those that get the most “face time”.   That is, not counting the AdWords that we and other vendors buy, the results of a search usually turn up one of the pricing engines such as Epinions or Shopping.com.  The longer you and others look at a web site, the more popular it is deemed, and the higher it rises to the top of the “found”
list.  This is grossly titled toward the largest advertisers and leaves out the niche players. If Shopping.com buys enough advertising, they get the face time that ranks them higher on the non-advertised results.  I don’t expect Google to change its wildly popular strategy, but those of us that rely on our clients to find us are finding that search engine success depends upon consistent and expensive advertising.  If not for the utility bill from Google (et.al.), we’d perhaps emphasize other destinations for our advertising and marketing dollars.  Seems that we are stuck with this paradigm at least for now.

Why should you care?  Because the spiraling costs of advertising and marketing are reflected in the prices of the products you buy.  What to do about it?  Call Argecy and skip the searches!

Its been a relatively slow summer here, but there are many news items to present you:

TallyGenicom announced a new line of high speed impact printers, the 6200 and 6300 series.  They range in speeds from 600 to 1800 LPM and are sure to be a high quality and durable addition to their venerable traditions.  They even offer and ethernet IPDS solution.  They are priced competitively with offerings from IBM/Printronix.  Also announced were new enhancements to their robust portable printer line.  These are excellent for niche markets such as printing in the warehouse, vehicle, or kiosks, etc.

We have now sold over 4,000 coax/twinax to ethernet conversion cards/boxes.  We successfully prototyped our second generation card for 4224’s and are delighted to have liquid inventory starting at the end of August.  So, consider carefully before buying new printers.  These old 4224’s are built better and last longer than any other printer we’ve found in the mass market.  Conversion is simple, inexpensive, and does not interfere with the clients’ ongoing business.  Before you buy or recommend a plastic printer, ponder the cost-effectiveness of the combination of our 4224-4xx card in IBM’s 4224 printer line.

We are pleased to announce our authorization as a Visara SCON and ICON reseller. Visara has a robust and carefully thought out product line, offering solutions for your thin client, terminal, controller, and printer requirements.  Bring us your most difficult environments, and we’ll show you some excellent choices. We now offer their products in the IBM 2074 arena which compare with the IDG 9074 line.  We look forward to your calls regarding these fine products and offerings.

IBM and Lexmark have both announced their “new” product lines.  There are the usual speed and feature enhancements, along with the requisite toners.  There is, however, a cool feature which allows the user to configure the printer to as to dedicate resources to either speed of first page out, or continuous print.  On short jobs, the speed at which the first page is completed has a greater bearing on the throughput speed than the potential running speed.  Memory and processor resources can be allocated to apply to the current printed page instead of beginning to rasterize the successive pages.  Pretty cool, but I question whether users will bother.  One other item is notable:  At running speeds of 50ppm, the new offerings are sure to suck in clients who would have been much better off with a higher end console printer than the cartridge based ones being offered.

IBM also announced their new 6500 series of impact shuttle matrix printers.   They are now sold with black cases, as is fashionable of late.  There are some minor enhancements, but it is primarily more of same.  Their new 6700 series of thermal label printers now offer RFID functionality to replace the 4400 series.

I found it interesting to note that Ricoh engines are used in the IBM 20xx families.   I once sold copiers (over 20 years ago) made by Ricoh, and was impressed with their quality and engineering.  I should not have been surprised by this discovery.  Seems that there are fewer and fewer sources for high speed print engines with all the consolidation that has taken place over the last few years.  With the closing of IBM Endicott plant, it seems that IBM has no intention of manufacturing for the printer market, at least in the USA.

I received an email from a European company who is considering jumping in to the printband business.  I haven’t heard back yet, but I suspect they will not find enough demand to offset their initial investments.  I’ll keep you posted.

We are sorry to report the loss of yet another participant in the secondary market.  Star Computer has closed its doors.  No one said being in the refurb business was easy.  They were one of the last independent refurb facilities in the nation.  We wish Dave and Mike farewell.

Here’s the latest hots and nots:

Sweet spots:
IBM 4000-id3/id4 Venerable printer with excellent Roll Systems attachment options (ID3: PAGE COUNT = 25,777,683 W/FEATURES: 4840, 9403, 9410, 4404, 4540, 4481;  ID4: COUNT 25,933,478 W/FEATURES: 4840,8524,9410,9941,9993,4367,4540,4540,9470)
IBM 2770-001 InfoPrint 70.  We have one banded now.
IBM 6400-015, 008, 050, P50  Get them while they’re still cheap.
IBM 1332 (4527-001) sitting NEW IN BOX below dealer cost.
IBM 1352n and 1352 (4528-n01, 4528-001) over 250 pieces sitting NEW IN BOX below dealer cost.
IBM 4230-102’s and 4230-4i3’s.  Most others are fairly tight
IBM 1100 (45xx series) series (1125, 1130)
InfoPrint 1228 (4928-001) – 28ppm in color! NEW in box
InfoPrint 62 (4370) High-quality, continuous forms printer – IBM banded
Lexmark 2480 – fast and durable desktop narrow carriage impact printer
Lexmark Optra E 4026-070 cute 8ppm desktop laser
Lexmark Optra M410 – more just in
Lexmark Optra S1250, S1255, S1625, S1855’s – lots and lots sitting (most with ethernet).
Lexmark Optra S2450 — 24ppm laser
Lexmark Optra Se3455 – 34 pages per minute and cheap-to-keep (16)
Lexmark T612’s — over 70 units in stock now.
Lexmark T614’s — over 25 units in stock now.
Lexmark T522’s – over 300 pieces in stock now.
Lexmark T620n’s – 23 in stock now.
Lexmark T630’s — over 100 units in stock now.
Lexmark Optra W810 – 35ppm and 11×17 in a very solid printer.
Lexmark external Ethernet print servers 4034-103 – over 100… less than $50 each!!
Lexmark 4227plus- fast ASCII impact printer
More trays and drawers for above lasers than I care to admit….

Tighter:
Multifunction upgrades for IBM and Lexmark machines (we have a few)
Lexmark Optra T622
Lexmark Optra T520
Lexmark Optra T616
Lexmark Optra T610
IBM 1100 (45xx series) series (1120, 1125, 1130, 1140).  We have a few of each
IBM 1145 (45xx series) – one left
IBM 1312
IBM 1412
IBM 4247-003 – one left
IBM 4247-V03
IBM 4232-302
IBM 4224-1e3 twinax

David T. Mendelson
Argecy Computer Corporation
27280 Haggerty Road C21
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
248-324-1800 x122
248-324-1900 fax
www.argecy.com
dave@argecy.com

ARGECY:May 2005 Editorial 

Not to pat myself on the back,
but the number of calls for solutions has increased so  “I think we are
(over)due for a big run on IBM 6400’s” has manifested.  The market to replace
the behemoth 4248, 4245, 6262, and 6252 printers has awoken.  There’s still some
hope that someone will jump in to the print-band business, but the investment is
larger than the potential remaining market, so unless prices for printbands make
a big leap upward, I don’t see an entrepreneurial opportunity.

Next month: Thin clients and terminals: my crystal
ball.

Here’s the latest hots and nots:
Sweet spots:
IBM
4000-id3/id4 Venerable printer with excellent Roll Systems attachment options
(ID3: PAGE COUNT = 25,777,683 W/FEATURES: 4840, 9403, 9410, 4404, 4540, 4481; 
ID4: COUNT 25,933,478 W/FEATURES:
4840,8524,9410,9941,9993,4367,4540,4540,9470)
IBM 2770-001 InfoPrint 70.  We
have one of only a couple in the market now.
IBM 4332-001 32ppm workhorse
beats all comers for least cost per page. NEW IN BOX units available
Also
have some MICR 4332-004’s.
IBM 6400-015 Get them while you still can.
IBM
1352n and 1352 (4528-n01, 4528-001) over 250 pieces sitting NEW IN BOX below
dealer cost.
We have a “plethora” of IBM 4230-102’s.  Most others are fairly
tight
Lexmark 2480 – fast and durable desktop narrow carriage impact
printer
Lexmark Optra E 4026-070 cute 8ppm desktop laser
Lexmark Optra
M410 – more just in
Lexmark Optra S1250, 1255, 1855’s – lots and lots sitting
(most with ethernet).
Lexmark Optra S1625 16ppm laser at a great value, Huge
quantity of units sitting now.
Lexmark Optra S2455 — 24ppm laser
Lexmark
Optra Se3455 – 34 pages per minute and cheap-to-keep (16)

Tighter:
Multifunction upgrades for IBM and Lexmark machines
(we have a few)
Lexmark Optra T622
Lexmark Optra T520
Lexmark Optra
T616
Lexmark Optra T614
Lexmark Optra T610
IBM 1100 (45xx series)
series (1120, 1125, 1130, 1140).  We have a few of each
IBM 1145 (45xx
series)
IBM 1312
IBM 1412
IBM 4247-003
IBM 4247-V03
IBM 4232-302
-Less than 20
IBM 4224-1e3 twinax

Check out
http:www.argecy.com/Specials.html



David T. Mendelson

Argecy Computer
Corporation

27280 Haggerty Road C21

Farmington Hills, MI
48331

248-324-1800 x122

248-324-1900
fax

www.argecy.com

dave@argecy.com

March, 2005  Editorial

I think we are (over)due for a big run on IBM
6400’s.

The supply of printbands for IBM  3262, 5262, 4234, 4245, 6252,
6262 and other Band Printers has all but evaporated.  We’ve had several on order
since last July!  This is beginning to come to a head as users discover too late
that their”old iron”is useless in the absence of this consumable.The process
of making a printband is not unlike the manufacturing of a computer IC Chip. 
There is a mask applied to the raw material and successive acid baths remove the
unwanted material.  This process “burns” a printband from a thicker piece of
metal.  The process is messy, time consuming, and dangerous.  The environmental
concerns are striking. The firm that has the infrasturcture to make printbands
has to consider the implications and costs of rebuilding their
hurricane-destoyed plant, relative to the demand in an anging installed base. So
what do we recommend?  The sweet spot in the market is the IBM 6400-015.  The
6400-010 is a sweet machine also, but the supplies are quite tight of that
model.

dave@argecy.com