Please help with info on this older platesetter

[SteveAgfa]

Hi Kevin:

It's great to see you as such a violet advocate! My, how time have changed!
And yet, with your recent return to visible light, it's easier to dismiss earlier generation technology.

In this case, as you are suggesting, as these lasers die with no green replacement, it indeed is a
shrinking market. I understand one of our competitors has withdrawn from this green plate market,
just as I understand that some vendors have withdrawn from the graphic arts film market.

It's a difficult balance to remain a financially stable steward for the industry, and yet serve as many
technologies as possible. Certainly we're positioned to continue to support a viable need which extends
beyond just this device, but to an installed base of platesetters in the newspaper industry as well.

But, getting back to the original thread, the concern is more the availability of spares, and especially the green lasers themselves.

Still, a great machine for its time.

[Kevin@Kodak]

I always have to watch my wording with you around, Steve... "advocate" is stretching things a bit.

Available spare lasers is one concern, but the choice of a range of plates and a range of plate suppliers can be VERY limiting - both technically and financially - for a printer. As I'm sure you know, Kodak (and I personally) is an advocate of open systems... at this stage in the lifecycle of green technology, I wouldn't consider it an open system. Silver-based violet plates are getting well into that territory now too.

Kevin.