|
‘SAAN
pwedeng magpa-xerox dito?” “Saan may malapit na xerox?”
In
university halls and government offices, these questions
(loosely translated: “Where is the nearest xerox
service?”) have been thrown here and there like balls of
fires amid a maze of strangers going to and fro, minding
their own monkey businesses. In corporate offices, the
xerox machine is as vital as the hot-and-cold water
dispenser. Once it conks out, major operations or
transactions could get delayed.
Then
there’s the redundant expression, “Everytime I look in
the mirror, I see the xerox(ed) copy of Dennis Trillo.”
Xerox.
Copy. To copy or to “xerox”?
Whatever
the right term is, etymologists and philologists would
always find a way to explain how words are used and
abused, and how they acquire new meanings as time goes
on.
But if
we’re going to trace the origin of “xerox,” it all
started in 1938, when patent attorney and inventor
Chester Carlson was able to create the first xerographic
image in his laboratory. It was then called
electrography. In 1944 a certain Battelle Memorial
Institute contacted Carlson to perfect his invention.
In 1947
the photographic-paper maker Haloid Co. obtained the
license to develop and market the electrographic copying
machine. Eventually, Carlson gave his copyright
privileges and agreed with Haloid to give the official
name xerography, from the Greek words “dry” and
“writing.” In 1958 Haloid appended the word Xerox to the
eponymous name of his company. There were several joint
ventures until the company became simply known as Xerox
Corp.
Then a
tie-up with Fuji Photo Film Co. in 1962 yielded what has
become global name and brand: Fuji Xerox.
In 1971
laser printing was born when an engineer at Xerox Palo
Alto Research Center, named Gary Starkweather,
introduced the use of laser beam in xerography. But it
was only in 1977 when the technology was perfected and
the first laser printer, Xerox 9700, was made available
to the public.
In 2000
the acquisition of Tektronix Inc.’s Color Printing and
Imaging Division enhanced the company’s lead in the
business, giving birth to Fuji Xerox Phaser Printing, or
what is now called Fuji Xerox Printers. It operates in
12 countries in the Asia-Pacific region alone.
So
what’s the relevance of all this “historical”
information? How does it affect our everyday existence?
Are we going to be rich or richer by knowing all this?
Like the
xeroxed answer from this writer’s look-a-like Dennis
Trillo, admitting his faults on live television, it is a
resounding “yes”!
As part
of Fuji Xerox’s 30th anniversary campaign in the
Philippines, there are cash prizes to be won via online
contest, which consumers can join by visiting
www.whoinventedlaser.com. There’s also an informative
and dynamic microsite containing illustrations of the
history of Fuji Xerox, archival materials and all those
informative stuff on printers, then and now.
Also
part of the anniversary was the recent exhibit, titled
Welcome to My World, held at the TriNoma Mall in
Quezon City.
Those who bought along with them the oldest photo they
could unearth from some long-forgotten baul won a
Fuji Xerox printer.
Vincent
Sim, Fuji Xerox Printers marketing manager for
Asia-Pacific and China, was there to grace the opening
and recount the company’s history and introduce new
products to members of the local media and some mall
rats who passed by the exhibit.
He
narrated that besides the first laser printer, Fuji
Xerox is also the one responsible for introducing
ethernet, the world’s first local area network, or LAN,
for connecting workstations, printers and other office
equipment. Another first is Centerware, which is Fuji
Xerox’s proprietary software that enables document
center systems to perform multiple functions all at the
same time.
“As we
celebrate our 30th anniversary, we reaffirm our position
as a responsible and innovative world-leading brand,”
said Sim. And there’s a lot more in store for the techie
geeks out there. Just log on to www.fxprinters.com, or
call 897-5396.
Now,
copy that. Or, better yet, xerox that. |
