General availability of the machine began on February 15. Here’s the press release. I note that it will be available in Canada next month.
Self publishers can print their latest manuscripts at the corner bookstore, classical books are now available for purchase on demand at libraries, cruise-goers can leave their books at home and print reading materials on the ship. All of this is possible with the Espresso Book Machine®, A Xerox Solution. Available for installation starting today, U.S. bookstores, libraries, universities and other retail outlets can purchase or lease the Espresso Book Machine. The print on demand device can produce a book in minutes.
The Espresso Book Machine gives businesses new ways to drive revenue and serves readers hungry for content on demand. The machine is powered by the Xerox 4112® Copier/Printer, which can quickly print, bind and trim bookstore-quality paperbacks with color covers.
Developed by On Demand Books, the print-at-retail model includes the EspressNet™ software system, which connects the machine to a vast repository of content, allowing consumers to print millions of copyrighted, public-domain and self-published books on demand.
To help drive business, Xerox offers the ProfitAccelerator® Espresso Book Machine Essentials kit that provides marketing and sales tips – as well as a “how to” guide familiarizing owners with technical aspects of the solution.
The Espresso Book Machine will be available in Canada beginning next month and in other markets in the future.
does this allow you to change the font size on a book? that is, can it print a large-print book on demand? if so, it could be a great way to solve the availability of large print books for people who don’t want an ereader.
If this had come out years ago when they’d first started promising it, it might have made a difference. Now, I can’t imagine anyone turning in their Kindle or Nook for an Expresso. Sorry. Too little-too late for paper books.
Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com
In the long term I agree with Rob. But I think it is a mistake to underestimate the desire of a certain segment of the public for their beloved paper. I believe that this segment will stick with paper as long as they can, and the POD service will facilitate this. Everyone has his own prediction – I am guessing that the availability of paper books will start to suffer in about 2014 when many mid market titles will not merit print runs and others will be printed but sold at much higher prices than today. The only practical way for this segment of the population to get their paper fix will be through POD. I believe POD will be widespread worldwide from 2013-2014, located in small POD bookshops. How long the paper will cling on is anyone’s guess but I would not underestimate it.