Brother Expands Award Winning Printer Line With Optimized for Windows, 600
DPI, 6 PPM Laser Printer.

- Makes 600 dpi truly affordable to the SOHO market -

SOMERSET, NJ, (June 20, 1995) - Brother International Corporation today
announced the WL-660, a 6 page per minute, 600 dpi desktop laser printer
with expected street prices starting at under $500. according to John
Wandishin, Director of Marketing, Printers. Product will begin shipping in
August.

Before, when an end-user purchased a printer, they were paying for
additional processing power which could easily be provided by today's
significantly more powerful 486 or higher PCs. By improving the way PCs
and printers work together, Brother has eliminated those redundant
functions from the printer that can be amply handled by the PC. This
results in improved printing efficiency and allows the end-user to
purchase a higher resolution printer for about half of what the leading
600 dpi printer would cost. With the money they save on the cost of the
WL-660, they can invest in a more powerful PC, additional peripherals or
software.

An added benefit of such a streamlined working relationship between the
printer and PC, is that when an end-user upgrades their PC to a faster
model, they simultaneously increase the throughput printing speed of the
WL-660.

The WL-660 is targeted at the user who works in a Window environment,
requires the benefits that true 600 dpi output provides over 300 dpi and
up to now was prohibited by pricing as high as $1,000 for such a printer.
With its anticipated sub-$500 street price, the WL-660 will be considered
a value by both existing 600 dpi users as well as a totally new group of
users who before could only afford lower resolution printers.

To facilitate the unique working relationship between the printer and
personal computer, Brother recommends that the WL-660 be used with today's
standard personal computer configuration which is composed of a 486SX or
higher PC working in a Windows environment with at least 4 MB of RAM and
10 MB of free hard disk space (for the Printer Control Software).

Straight Paper Path Design Advantage

Like its award winning predecessors, the EL-600 Series and HL-660, the
WL-660 features an innovative and technologically advanced straight paper
path. The advantages of Straight Paper Path Technology center on its
ability to print more types and sizes of paper stocks since paper does not
have to bend and travel around numerous paper rollers as it does with
other laser printers.

The shorter, simpler paper path also increases throughput, improves
envelope printing, and significantly avoids the occurrence of paper jams
and curling.

In addition to its Straight Paper Path Technology, other standard, leading
edge features of the WL-660 include proprietary, advanced data
compression, optimized Windows print driver with built-in compression mode
for enhanced Windows printing speed, 35 True Type compatible fonts, true
600 dpi resolution, and compliance with the Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Energy Star Program for low power consumption.

Professional-Looking Output, Fast Printing Speed

The WL-660 produces output of near typeset quality. Sharp, crisp text and
well-defined graphics are a result of its true 600 dpi resolution.

The WL-660's 6 page per minute engine offers the user 50% more engine speed
than the more common 4 page per minute printer engines in this class. To
quickly and efficiently handle demanding graphics and text, the WL-660
utilizes an optimized Windows printer driver.

Given the fact that over 80% of the time the WL-660 will be performing some
type of word processing application, preliminary tests have shown that the
printer is 32% faster in printing applications like WordPerfect for
Windows documents than previous printers in its class.

Incorporated into each WL-660 printer is a proprietary Brother technology
referred to as advanced, automatic Data Compression. This feature operates
transparently and requires no user interaction. Data Compression reduces a
file's size while maintaining no loss of data. This allows more
information to be processed and transferred faster with less memory
requirements than other laser printers in its class.

Ease of Use-Graphical User Interface

In addition to improving the working relationship between the PC and
printer, Brother has also improved the interface between the end-user and
the printer. By eliminating a control panel with numerous buttons and
blinking lights to interpret, Brother developed an easy to use Printer
Control Software (PCS) driver which improves usability and end-user
productivity. This intuitive, graphically oriented driver allows a user to
click on certain icons to select items like paper sizes, paper input
source, resolution required, types of manual duplexing, image
brightness/contrast adjustment and more. The PCS will also notify the
end-user via a graphically oriented, plain language, automatic pop-up menu
on their PC monitor screen of any printer errors such as paper empty, no
toner, etc.

Utilizes Intelliprint Technology - Supports Easy to Use, No Hassle
Printing

The WL-660 comes with many higher level laser printing features that are
commonly found in more expensive desktop laser printers. Brother
Intelliprint Technology encompasses a number of these features such as:

- Power Save Mode - The WL-660 is compliant with the EPA's Energy Star
Program because of its ability to power down and conserve energy when not
in use. Unlike other printers in its class, the WL-660 features an
adjustable Power Save Mode which allows the end-user to set a timeout from
5 to 75 minutes of printer inactivity before the printer "powers down".

- Reprint Mode - Ability to print the last printed page through a one
button command from the control panel.

- Automatic Data Compression - Facilitates faster data throughput, thus
faster Windows printing.

- Setting Status Page - A one-page printout that itemizes all the settings
for the printer which eliminates the need to go through each menu for
diagnosis of any printer settings.

The above mentioned auto-intelligence features minimize additional manual
interaction between the user and their personal computer when printing.

Advanced MicroFine/Economy Print Toner System

The WL-660 features a microfine toner system. Consisting of toner and drum
units, it produces an extremely low cost per page. To address the problem
of having to dispose of expensive ($75+) one piece toner cartridges, which
consist of both a toner and drum, Brother designed a two piece system.
This enables an end-user to only replace a significantly smaller and less
expensive toner cartridge (TN-1000HL, $39.95 SRP; 3000 page life at 4%
coverage). The drum unit (DR-100, $199.95 SRP) has a life of up to 17,000
pages.

Since most users print multiple drafts before a final of any document, the
WL-660 was designed to save toner during the proofing process. By easily
selecting the Economy Print Mode, an end-user receives output that appears
as if it were reproduced on an office copier set to a light toner density
setting while printing the page in its intended formats and design. When
the user is ready to print a final copy, they can easily select normal
mode and print. This feature can dramatically reduce per page cost to
under 2 cents per page while increasing toner yield up to 50%.

EPA's Energy Star Program Compliant for Low Power Consumption

Every WL-660 comes with a convenient power save feature. The user can
easily set the unit to automatically power down or "go into sleep mode"
when not in use for a certain amount of time (5 - 75 minutes). When
information is sent again to the printer, it automatically powers up or
"wakes up" and prints the file that it is receiving.

Wide Font and Memory Selection, Small Footprint, Ergonomic Design

The WL-660 features 35 TrueType compatible scalable fonts.

Each WL-660 comes with .5MB of RAM standard. Expansion up to 4MB of total
onboard memory is easily achieved by adding user installable proprietary
memory directly to the controller board. Additional memory upgrade options
available are: MB-215W, a 1.5 MB Memory Module ($199.95 SRP), or the
MB-235W, a 3.5 MB Memory Module ($499.95 SRP)

The small footprint of the WL-660 is another benefit of a straight paper
path design which makes it a natural for tight workspaces where space is
at a premium.

Warranty and Reliability

The WL-660 includes a one-year parts and labor warranty. In and out of
warranty service is available on a walk-in, send-in, or on-site basis
through Brother, a nationwide network of Brother Elite and Authorized
Service Depots or nationally through Dow Jones (depending on location).

For more information, contact Brother International Corporation, 200
Cottontail Lane, Somerset, NJ 08875-6714, (908) 356-8880

With production from their Bartlett, Tennessee factory, Brother
International Corporation is America's largest manufacturer of portable
electronic typewriters and personal word processors. They also distribute
a full line of automated office, industrial and home electronic products.
In addition to its headquarters in Somerset, New Jersey, Brother has
operations in Brazil, Chile, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mexico,
Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

The Printer Products Division markets a complete line of laser, ink jet and
dot matrix printers and is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey.

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