HP Expected to Unveil First ‘Mopier’

Hewlett-Packard Co. is expected to extend its role as a leading supplier of computer printers next week by unveiling the first of a family of devices designed to allow people to bypass the copy machine. Industry sources familiar with details of the new models told Reuters that the machines can be used instead of a copier to make multiple printouts of a document, posing a threat to copy machine makers such as Xerox Corp. and Canon Inc. “This is the first direct attack at the copier market,” said one of the sources, who declined to be identified. Another source said the initial version of the technology will likely be for modest printing jobs, three or four copies of a document rather than for dozens of 100-page documents. A spokesman for Palo Alto-based HP was not immediately available for comment on the new product--dubbed the “Mopier” in internal documents--which one of sources said could be unveiled as early as Monday.