Epson Reduces Price of Award-Winning PhotoPC 700 to$499; Digital Photography is Even More...

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 1999--Epson, the creator of high quality, award-winning imaging products, today announced that it has reduced the price of its popular megapixel digital camera, the PhotoPC 700, by nearly 20 percent.

Effective January 1, the estimated street price

of Epson's megapixel PhotoPC 700 is now $499, reduced from its previous street price of $599. This fully-featured, easy-to-use digital camera combines exceptional photo quality with unmatched versatility and low total cost of ownership to deliver the most value for the price.

"Not only does Epson aim to provide high performance products in the rapidly growing digital camera market, but we also strive to achieve the best value," said Lisa Dempsey, assistant product manager, digital cameras, Epson. "At this new low price, we've made digital photography even more affordable for business professionals, home users and digital imaging enthusiasts alike."

About the PhotoPC 700

The fully-featured PhotoPC 700 is Epson's first megapixel digital camera, offering sharp 1280 x 960 pixel resolution images. This resolution is best suited for presentations, proposals, reports, e-mail messages and web pages. The PhotoPC 700 offers users the ability to customize their photos with a variety of picture modes including full size (1280 x 960 pixel), panoramic, close-up, 2x digital zoom and continuous shoot VGA, all in 16.7 million colors or crisp black and white. For enhanced versatility and to achieve a desired effect, users can accessorize their PhotoPC 700 digital cameras with add-on lenses, such as wide angle and telephoto, that can be attached to the included Tiffen(R) lens adapter.

The PhotoPC 700 also offers a Fast Erase feature allowing users to quickly delete unwanted images to save memory and store only the images they want. Furthermore, the camera comes equipped with Epson's Direct Print(tm) software and cable, enabling the camera to print directly to a variety of Epson's award-winning color ink jet printers without using a computer.

Unlike many other cameras available today, the PhotoPC 700 comes with four AA size rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and a fast, portable charger. For additional convenience, the PhotoPC 700 also accepts standard AA size batteries such as alkaline, lithium and NiCd. The PhotoPC 700 includes 4MB of internal memory, so the camera is always ready for picture taking. For expanded memory capabilities, the PhotoPC 700 accepts standard CompactFlash cards up to 64MB.

Price and Availability

The PhotoPC 700 digital camera is available through distribution, mail order, computer superstores and Epson dealers for an estimated street price of $499. The camera carries a one-year warranty and is supported by the EPSON Connection, a 24-hour, fully automated customer support and technical assistance line. For more information on Epson and its products, call 1-800-GO-EPSON (1-800-463-7766) or visit the company's web site at http://www.epson.com.

The PhotoPC 700 will be on display at Macworld Expo, San Francisco January 4 through January 8. (Booth No. 1007).

About Epson

Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) solutions for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America, Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America, Inc. is headquartered in Torrance, California.

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