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The Laser Printer
The IBM 3800 was the first
laser printer. It was introduced in 1975.(2) However, the
technology for the laser printer began with a man by the
name of Chester Carlson, In 1938, Carlson invented a dry
printing process known as electrography which would later be
adopted in the laser printers of today.(3) However, the
laser printer was not the first high speed computer printer.
The printer for the Univac computer mentioned earlier was
the pioneer. |
All-in-one printers or Multi-function Devices
Multifunction printers use
either inkjet or laser technology. Inkjet all-in-ones are
cheaper and print in color, but they are also slower. Laser
MFPs are faster, but color models cost significantly more
than monochrome units. Some MFPs have an integrated fax
modem, which allows you to fax hard copies as you would with
a regular fax machine. All-in-one printers without a fax
modem can't fax hard copies, but you can scan a document and
then fax it electronically through the computer. If you send
faxes regularly, you might really appreciate the convenience
of having an MFP with fax capability, but you can save money
on your printer by skipping an internal fax modem.
All-in-one printers with fax modems generally take up more
desk space.
Be aware that your computer could already have a fax modem
you can use to send faxes. Many PCs include them as part of
their base configuration, though with the growth of
broadband, some recent configurations omit them or offer
them as an option at a modest extra cost. Windows versions
prior to Vista also included faxing software, and all
multifunction printers can scan documents. With Vista, fax
software is only included in the Business, Ultimate and
Enterprise versions of the operating system. It is not
included in Vista Home Basic or Home Premium. However,
Vista-compatible fax software is available from a number of
third-party vendors.
It is certainly possible to send and receive faxes without
having a dedicated fax machine or all-in-one printer.
However, if you do any volume of faxing, it can be simpler,
faster and more convenient to do so directly from a
multifunction printer. Because email and other digital
technologies are replacing faxing, fewer models in each
generation of MFPs include the capability. Deciding on
whether you want the fax component is probably your first
consideration in choosing a multifunction printer. After
that, you'll need to decide whether photo printing is a
priority.
Dot Matrix
The LA30, produced by Digital
Equipment Corporation in 1970, was the first dot-matrix
printer for the computer. This printer could print at the
speed of 30 characters per second. A stepper motor drove its
printhead. A noisy ratchet drive advanced the paper.(5). In
the same year, Centronics Data Computer Corporation produced
a dot-matrix, the Model 101 that was capable of printing 165
characters per second.(6). The technology used in the
dot-matrix printers was
first introduced with the Type 26 Keypunch in 1949. The
technology was an innovation of IBM's Reynold B. Johnson.
In 1979, Hewlett-Packard (HP)
introduced a new type of printer. It was the laserjet.(8).
Unlike today's versions, the HP version was slow, smeared on
papers, and had troublesome ink cartridges.(9). Although HP
was the first to introduce the inkjet, the technology behind
it was invented by Canon.(10) Today inkjets are one of the
most available printers in the world. You can see such
printers in electronic and computer shops.
The daisy wheel printer was
first introduced in 1970.(11). It is a printer where a
hammer strikes on characters on "petals" arranged in a
circle.(12). Such printers are not longer in great demand
due to its slow speed
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