HP Introduces Color Laser Printer Priced Below $500

Leading a host of new imaging products is the HP 2550 Color LaserJet that HP said has an estimated street price of $499. HP said the product is the first color laser printer in North America priced at less than $500. HP also introduced the Color LaserJet 4650 with an estimated street price of $1,799. The 4650 is an inline printer targeted at the SMB market.

HP also introduced new scanners and all-in-one products to help spearhead what Vyomesh Joshi, HP's executive vice president of its Imaging and Printing Group, said "is the year digital color goes mainstream."

In addition, HP unveiled a broad set of new or expanded imaging alliances with Adobe Systems, Apple, Microsoft and Quark.

HP, Palo Alto, Calif., estimates that the office color printing market is about $7.1 billion today and is expected to grow by 20 percent to $10.2 billion by 2006.