|
Post by kg6vqe on Mar 21, 2006 14:16:34 GMT -5
Two quick stories. I bought a Dot Matrix (STAR NX-10). It was the cheaper version of the MX-80 style printers. It had a standard Centronics interface, so had to buy a Commodore Printer Interface. I printed a lot of documents on that, including at least 12 versions of the newsletter for the South Bay Commodore User's Group that Earl and I Founded back in 1982. Secondly, although not a Dot Matrix Story, I was finishing my last year at CSU Long Beach. We had to write a 50 Page Senior Thesis. I used my C-64 with a word processor, but the Dot Matrix output was not good enough for final printing. I purchased a "DAISY WHEEL" typewriter, that had a Centronics Parallel Interface. Back in 1985, it cost about $300.00. I hooked the Printer Interface, and was printing "TRUE LETTER QUALITY" for my thesis. Saved me a lot of time and effort. The only disadvantage was it used a film type ribbon, that was only usable once through. I remember buying a lot of tape cartridges. This was a good time, and really enjoyed the dot matrix printer. I remember printing graphics, but it would do multiple passes on the paper, and you had to be careful, until the ink dried. I remember printing some newsletters I had gotten from other groups., that would render their title blocks...in fact, the entire letter would be a rendering...It would look like it was printed, but used a lot of ribbon to do it. Hey anyone remember "RE-INKING" their ribbons?
|
|
|
Post by thurstan on Mar 22, 2006 6:46:48 GMT -5
I had (still have somewhere!) a Panasonic dot matrix printer for use with my Amstrad CPC 6128 which worked really well. I used it for typing letters, CV's (resumes) and as a label printer. I printed labels for all my blank videos i used to have. The printer to have at the time was the Star LC-10 colour printer, but my parents decided black and white was more than enough!
Graphics printing was very hit and miss, usually ending up with a soggy piece of paper with all that ink!
My dad came home with a daisywheel printer once, boy was it fast and NOISY ! CLACKETY CLACK all the time!
|
|
|
Post by Jeff Ledger on Mar 22, 2006 8:11:14 GMT -5
"Son of EP" -- Now that's cool.. I'd never heard that one. I'll have to disagree with the concept that Dot Matrix printers are a "has been" -- I had a customer purchase one (A new Panasonic) this year for the purpose of multipart forms. (Something that laser and deskjet just won't do.) Now the printer that was the one to have was the Star NX-1000. Near letter perfect, worked great with the Commodore and color. I need to find one of these for my retro collection Jeff
|
|
|
Post by Golan Klinger on Mar 22, 2006 10:47:31 GMT -5
Have you guys seen the current prices of dot matrix printers? I was looking through the catalgue of an office supply shop and I was staggered to see that dot matrix printers now cost several times more than laser printers. In fact, there were colour laser printers selling for less than some of the dot matrix printers! I guess the theory is that if you need a dot matrix printer for a specific application then you'll pay whatever they ask. Still seems like highway robbery to me.
I'm never giving up my beloved NEC PinWriter P5. What a workhorse.
|
|
|
Post by kaos116 on Mar 25, 2006 21:46:47 GMT -5
The sound of a dot matrix printer these days is not a good one. We have one at work that is connected to an automated test stand. It only prints when something is wrong with unit it is testing. So, the sound means 'WORK'!
I remember a time in high school (1983) Our computer teacher printed out 1 million zeros on a dot matrix printer. If I remember correctly it took over 24 hours to do.
|
|
|
Post by Golan Klinger on Mar 25, 2006 23:53:28 GMT -5
I remember a time in high school (1983) Our computer teacher printed out 1 million zeros on a dot matrix printer. If I remember correctly it took over 24 hours to do. Why would anyone do that? I remember in middle school some kid wrote a program to calculate pi and print each digit as it went along. He started it up on Friday and got into a lot of trouble on Monday.
|
|
telengard
Junior Member
Stuck in the 80s
Posts: 51
|
Post by telengard on Mar 26, 2006 17:47:26 GMT -5
Two quick stories. I bought a Dot Matrix (STAR NX-10). It was the cheaper version of the MX-80 style printers. It had a standard Centronics interface, so had to buy a Commodore Printer Interface. I printed a lot of documents on that, including at least 12 versions of the newsletter for the South Bay Commodore User's Group that Earl and I Founded back in 1982. Secondly, although not a Dot Matrix Story, I was finishing my last year at CSU Long Beach. We had to write a 50 Page Senior Thesis. I used my C-64 with a word processor, but the Dot Matrix output was not good enough for final printing. I purchased a "DAISY WHEEL" typewriter, that had a Centronics Parallel Interface. Back in 1985, it cost about $300.00. I hooked the Printer Interface, and was printing "TRUE LETTER QUALITY" for my thesis. Saved me a lot of time and effort. The only disadvantage was it used a film type ribbon, that was only usable once through. I remember buying a lot of tape cartridges. This was a good time, and really enjoyed the dot matrix printer. I remember printing graphics, but it would do multiple passes on the paper, and you had to be careful, until the ink dried. I remember printing some newsletters I had gotten from other groups., that would render their title blocks...in fact, the entire letter would be a rendering...It would look like it was printed, but used a lot of ribbon to do it. Hey anyone remember "RE-INKING" their ribbons? Heh, I couldn't afford a printer back when I had 8 bit computers. Doesn't mean I didn't want one. My "dream" printer was always the Okimate 10/20 series. They just seemed awesome... Sounds like you got a lot of use out of yours. I now own 2 Star Micronics NX-1000 (one color). I have also bought a ton of ribbons on eBay and have stored them such that I hope they last a while. It does bring up a good question though. Assuming the printer lives for quite a while, how could I be sure to have working ribbons 5,10+ years from now? I also *love* the sound they make. Nothing like it. Gotta find some of that tracktor fed greenbar paper too like we had in school. ~telengard
|
|
|
Post by Golan Klinger on Mar 26, 2006 18:40:18 GMT -5
|
|
telengard
Junior Member
Stuck in the 80s
Posts: 51
|
Post by telengard on Mar 26, 2006 21:28:33 GMT -5
Oh my gosh, I had totally forgotton you had given me those links. Heh, I'm going senile. ~telengard
|
|