LEXMARK REDEFINES PRICE PERFORMANCE WITH NEW 16-PPM OPTRA PLUS LASER
PRINTERS

GREENWICH, CT., SEPT. 25, 1995 ...Lexmark International Inc., which set
industry standards with the first 600 x 600 and true 1,200 x 1,200
dots-per-inch (dpi) laser printers, today announced four new models of the
award-winning Optra family of monochrome laser printers. The new products,
called Optra plus, are based on the original Optra lasers and deliver
improved processing performance, increased media handling and outstanding
value, all at 16 pages per minute (ppm).

The new Optra plus models, like their predecessors, produce photographic-
like images, graphics and text at true 1,200 x 1,200 dpi that are four
times sharper than current 600 dpi laser printers, but at the same or less
cost. The four models are the Optra R+, Optra Rt+, Optra Lx+ and Optra
Lxi+, all with print speeds of 16 ppm in the 300 dpi and 600 dpi modes and
8 ppm in the 1,200 dpi print mode. Street prices range from $1,400 to
$3,200.

16 PPM AT 12 PPM PRICE

Lexmark enhanced the value of the Optra R+, its 12 page-per-minute desktop
model, by increasing its print speed to 16 ppm in 300 dpi and 600 dpi
modes without increasing its price. Compared to its competitor products,
whose maximum resolution of 600 dpi comes at 12 ppm, the Optra R+ is an
outstanding value for customers who need an affordable high-performance,
high quality desktop or workgroup laser printer. Lexmark also replaced the
Optra Rx and L models with the 16-ppm Rt+ which affordably adds a second
200-sheet paper drawer standard for users with multiple input
requirements.

The Optra Lx+, like its predecessor model, has larger paper input and
output capacities and greater duty cycle for high-volume network printing.
The Optra Lxi+ is network-ready and configured with an Ethernet
10BaseT/10Base2 combo adapter card, pre-installed extra memory and an
additional 500-sheet second paper drawer. All four Optra plus models
include PostScript Level 2 and enhanced PCL 5 emulations at no extra
charge, with automatic switching that retains font and printer settings.

INDUSTRY-LEADING PAPER HANDLING

Lexmark's heritage of listening to customer demands and delivering
solutions led to such industry breakthroughs as 1,200 x 1,200 dpi
printing, optional duplex and flash memory. When a number of Lexmark
customers indicated the need for multiple input sources for their various
media requirements, Lexmark's engineers developed an optional dual rear
feeder that fits on all four models to meet their needs.

The dual rear feeder consists of two input stackers that hold up to 150
sheets of paper and can handle a range of media sizes and weights, from
3.5 x 6 inches up to 8.5 x 14 inches and up to 100 pound tag stock, as
well as transparencies and envelopes. By adding the dual rear feeder and
an optional paper drawer, Optra Rt+ users can take advantage of six input
sources and other Optra models increase to five input sources.

Users can also now choose to collate their print jobs either via the
printer's operator panel or driver. Collating print jobs through the
printer saves users time and eliminates mistakes made through manual
collation. The new models will even insert a blank page between each print
job to eliminate the need to search page by page in the output bin for
individual print jobs in a shared environment.

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE

The 16 ppm models benefit from up to 50 percent increased processing
performance, which frees up the printer faster and helps make sure complex
print jobs don't interfere with traffic on the computer network.

The models also combine fast processing with advanced data compression and
high speed drivers and data transfer to provide optimized performance.
Their standard 2 MB of memory in the R+ and Rt+, 4 MB in the Lx+ and 8 MB
in the Lxi+, combined with Lexmark's RAMSmart advanced memory compression,
can print most jobs from common business applications, but the memory is
expandable up to 64 MB in each model to optimize performance for the most
complex image applications.

NETWORK CONNECTIVITY

Optra laser printers take advantage of Lexmark's history of providing the
broadest network connectivity in the printer industry. All four models
have two internal network adapter (INA) slots to receive MarkNet XL INA
cards for connection to a wide variety of network operating systems.

Lexmark's highly acclaimed MarkVision network printing utility, which
provides easy installation and management of network printing, is a
standard feature of the new 16 ppm models and Lexmark's other network
printers. Now users in Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, Macintosh, OS/2 Warp and
UNIX environments, including those operating on Novell networks, can
manage their Lexmark printers through MarkVision.

All Optra laser printers are compatible with major operating systems and
environments including Windows 3.1x, Windows NT, OS/2, DOS, Macintosh,
UNIX and AS/400. The Optra plus models are also Windows 95 Plug and Play
compatible.

Optra plus laser printers also use a number of Lexmark's advanced options
available with the original Optras, including an economical, attachable
duplex and hard disk drives or flash memory to store fonts, forms and
logos on the printer. The duplex option fits on any Optra monochrome
models to provide simple, convenient printing on both sides of the paper.
The hard disk drive, increased from 40 MB to 100 MB for the same price,
and flash memory significantly improve laser printer performance by
eliminating the need to download fonts across the network.

Lexmark designed all of these printers with the environment in mind and all
models comply fully with the Energy Star printers program of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.

The Optra plus models include a one-year onsite warranty and are available
from Lexmark's resellers, distributors and dealers. The Optra R+ is also
available in select retail superstores and outlets.

Lexmark International is an independent worldwide company that develops,
manufactures and markets network and personal printers, typewriters,
information processing supplies and keyboards.

For more information about Lexmark network printer products, call
1-800-891-0331. Internet users can find press releases and product
information on the Lexmark home page at http://www.lexmark.com.
 
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