As I understand it, Kodak is offering a package of software and hardware which includes an ALPS-like printer. The down side is that it is a package and the price is $5K.
That is from some months ago, things may have changed, but I haven't heard that they have. There do appear to be some differences between what the ALPS and Kodak printers will do, but those differences get into subtlties of ALPS practice which I've never been into.
As to the way ALPS works, there are two distinct methods. The older, and the one used by decal makers, uses a plastic ribbon coated with a waxy vehicle which carries the pigment. The print head heats the ribbon, a little droplet of waxy "ink" is transferred to the paper, where it cools and hardens.
Dye sublimation is different. The dye is heated more strongly and actually turns to a vapor, which then condenses on the paper, hence the name "dye sublimation". (Sublimation is the name for a process in which a solid passes directly into a vapor with out a liquid phase in between.)
The temperature used in the sublimation process is higher than in the wax transfer, so high that some have reported melting the film on decal paper, producing an ungodly mess and a need for print head replacement. The old MD1000 ALPS would do the transfer process only. The MD5000 (I think) does dye sublimation only. In between are 2 or 3 models which can do either, or can do transfer with a dye sublimation kit available (if you can find one these days).
One thing I've heard about ALPS is that the ribbon gets consumed, whether you use it or not. That is, if you set out to print a 1/2 x 1/2 inch whatever in the upper left corner of a sheet, the printer will feed the whole 8 1/2 x 11 sheet just as if it were printing, and run ribbon through the cartridge just as if it were printing. Rewinding is apparently not an option.
All told, I think I'm glad I didn't buy an ALPS when I could, the attractions of making my own decals notwithstanding. I find offers to sell me an ALPS highly resistable. That's not to say they are junk, or worthless, or anything like that. Several people use them and swear by them. I believe based on what I've read that there is more learning curve than I care to undertake. There's also the matter of what do you do if it breaks (and it seems it will break, quite likely in transit from Joe Seller to your house).
Bob Netzlof
Bob Netzlof a/k/a Sweet Old Bob