Its usually someone from outside the market that changes it, like Apple did in graphic arts. We want to do that in print and workflow, stated Bill McGlynn, vice president and general manager of Hewlett-Packard Digital Publishing Solutions.

Steve Jobs dumped every Exacto knife and layout board, and we want to do the same thing by offering an off-the-shelf production workflow to hook commercial printers to the net, McGlynn added.

The firm also re-affirmed its commitment to Indigos manufactguring base in Israel, despite the current instability in the region. When the tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, IBM and others packed up and left. We stayed. We are committed and we are very committed to Israel, said McGlynn.

Indigo founder Benny Landa added: Things are pretty horrid and it might get worse before it gets better, but it doesnt affect us at all.

When Americans ask me if its dangerous to come to Israel, I say not if you dont stop in New York or Chicago on the way.

Landa, now special advisor to HP chief executive Carly Fiorina, also gave a typically robust (and unprintable) answer to Heidelbergs assertion that there are only two players in colour digital printing Heidelberg and Xerox. They are getting confused all they offer is commercial machines, while we are talking to our customers customers so it will be pulled for the first time in the history of digital printing.

Having looked at the NexPress and iGen3, Landa declared the quality of both to be inferior to Indigo. The quality of the NexPress is superior to the iGen3, but the economics are prohibitive and the cost per page is going to kill them and their customers. The iGen3 is a step back from the 2060 in technology and performance, but the cost per page is better.

So Heidelberg and Xerox are going to be in second and third place.

HP Indigo will take orders for its long-awaited B2 machine, shown as a static display at Ipex, at Drupa in 2004.

Story by Jo Francis