SKINFLINT'S CITY DIARY I see that Minnesota Mining and Manufac-
turing commonly known as the 3m Co, the American copying equipment to micro- film to scotch-tape firm has produced world sales of £702.5m against £671.7m and net profits up by £3.6m at £78.5m. This is most telling and I cannot help feeling that they will be making a dent as time goes by on the Xerox Company who are already threatened by IBM entering the copying machine busi- ness. My two friends in the City have by chance mentioned to me recently exchang- ing small Xerox copying machines which were only available on rental basis and at a minimum cost of £300 pa. for the 3m Co's model 209 Automatic which they were able to buy outright for some £350. The quality of reproduction and the advantage that the small 3m machine can copy from books has made it preferable quite apart from the great saving in cost. Xerox will certainly have to look to their charges—in particular offering the chance of an outright purchase —as well as the quality of reproduction, if they are to keep the extraordinary lead their fundamental patent gave them.
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