Trixter
Veteran Member
So why not do both?
Touche! Well, I do have two Panasonic Sr. Partners.
- VCF South West - June 14 - 16, Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas
- VCF West - Aug 2 - 3, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
- VCF Midwest - Sept 7 - 8 2024, Schaumburg, IL
- VCF SoCal - Mid February 2025, Location TBD, Southern CA
- VCF East - April 2025, Infoage Museum, Wall NJ
-
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Vintage Printers
- Thread starter VintageComputerman
- Start date
Touche! Well, I do have two Panasonic Sr. Partners.
Chuck(G)
25k Member
Sometime around 1978 or so, I ran across an all-in-one from an outfit (I'm relatively sure of this) called "U.S. Robotics" at one of the trade shows. No kidding--the modem people. A large black box with 12" CRT and printer in the top (a la the Panasonic). A Z80 machine, I believe.
Does anyone else remember this thing? Do I have the name of the outfit wrong?
If anyone needs a period-correct PS laser printer, I do have a Panasonic KX-P4455 with lots of extra supplies headed for the e-waste people. Does, IIRC, serial, parallel and AppleTalk. Heavy beast, built fro the ages--also does Epson MX80 and Diablo 630 emulation. I have several paper and envelope trays to go with it.
Does anyone else remember this thing? Do I have the name of the outfit wrong?
If anyone needs a period-correct PS laser printer, I do have a Panasonic KX-P4455 with lots of extra supplies headed for the e-waste people. Does, IIRC, serial, parallel and AppleTalk. Heavy beast, built fro the ages--also does Epson MX80 and Diablo 630 emulation. I have several paper and envelope trays to go with it.
SiliconClassics
Experienced Member
I have a few old printers. Some fell into my lap while collecting computers, but a few I did actively purchase:
HP DeskJet 870Cse - Bought for cheap at a thrift store to replace an aging 855Cse. Used it to print documents for school, mostly text. Refilled the cartridges with a kit, so it was cheap to operate. Currently retired.
HP LaserJet 4 Plus - I have two of these, one purchased for $20 at a thrift store, the other rescued from the street. Both needed to be cleaned and to have their exit rollers replaced, afterward they worked good as new. Upgraded the memory, added PostScript modules, and put them on the network. They are tanks and I still use one of them regularly. My favorite printers, they last forever and are compatible with every major computing platform.
HP DeskJet 1200C - Bought purely because it's a monster of an inkjet, basically a letter-size DesignJet plotter. The carriage holds four separate full-size cartridges (CMYK) and there's a heater below the paper path to help the ink dry faster. Got it working and added a network card, but never actually used it because the cartridges tend to clog if left sitting for a few days and it takes up so much damn space. I should probably sell it. Still have the original user's manuals and a bunch of NIB ink cartridges.
Apple Imagewriter II - Came with a Mac 512k that I bought a couple of years ago. In the original box, including a cut sheet paper feeder attachment (also in its original box). Probably works but I've never used it.
Okidata Okimate 20 - Came with an Apple IIc. Not sure if it works. Cute little dot matrix that can apparently print in color.
I haven't bought a printer manufactured in the last 15 years because they are mostly cheap junk with tiny cartridges designed to extract as much money as possible from the user's wallet.
HP DeskJet 870Cse - Bought for cheap at a thrift store to replace an aging 855Cse. Used it to print documents for school, mostly text. Refilled the cartridges with a kit, so it was cheap to operate. Currently retired.
HP LaserJet 4 Plus - I have two of these, one purchased for $20 at a thrift store, the other rescued from the street. Both needed to be cleaned and to have their exit rollers replaced, afterward they worked good as new. Upgraded the memory, added PostScript modules, and put them on the network. They are tanks and I still use one of them regularly. My favorite printers, they last forever and are compatible with every major computing platform.
HP DeskJet 1200C - Bought purely because it's a monster of an inkjet, basically a letter-size DesignJet plotter. The carriage holds four separate full-size cartridges (CMYK) and there's a heater below the paper path to help the ink dry faster. Got it working and added a network card, but never actually used it because the cartridges tend to clog if left sitting for a few days and it takes up so much damn space. I should probably sell it. Still have the original user's manuals and a bunch of NIB ink cartridges.
Apple Imagewriter II - Came with a Mac 512k that I bought a couple of years ago. In the original box, including a cut sheet paper feeder attachment (also in its original box). Probably works but I've never used it.
Okidata Okimate 20 - Came with an Apple IIc. Not sure if it works. Cute little dot matrix that can apparently print in color.
I haven't bought a printer manufactured in the last 15 years because they are mostly cheap junk with tiny cartridges designed to extract as much money as possible from the user's wallet.
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Chuck(G)
25k Member
I've never owned a (working) inkjet. A few years ago, I picked up a used PC with the seller offering it for next to nothing if I'd take the 3 HP inkjet printers that he had sitting next to it. I scavenged them for mechanical parts and binned the rest.
On the other hand, laser printers seem to stand the test of time. Cartridges usually aren't difficult to refill and they last a long time, as do the printers (if you haven't purchased bottom of the line junk). I don't know what I'd do without mine.
On the other hand, laser printers seem to stand the test of time. Cartridges usually aren't difficult to refill and they last a long time, as do the printers (if you haven't purchased bottom of the line junk). I don't know what I'd do without mine.
mechanicjay
Member
+1 on not having bought a new printer in recent memory.
The Okimate 20 is the "24-pin" version of my "9-pin" Okimate 10. These actually use a thermal head and melt a wax ribbon to leave the "dots" on the page. It's easy enough to come by the black cartridges, but good luck finding the color carts. As I understand it the color carts have the colors are serially arranged on ribbon. So 8 inches of C, followed by 8 inches of M, followed by 8 inches of Y, followed by 8 inches of K, meaning you'd really blow through the color cart if doing a large picture or something, as the ribbon is only a 1-time use. The reason I don't use mine is that print quality is horrible, it's barely passible with a very smooth high-quality paper, try to run some standard tractor-feed paper through it and, you can barely read the output.
Stone
10k Member
So, all in all, the printer ... sucks out loud!
1ST1
Veteran Member
Ok, I try to list my printers from memory:
STAR NL 10 with centronics and IEC interface and automatic sheet feeder. This is my personal first printer, used in the 80's on my C64 and ST. Still works fine.
Canon BJ 300, my 2nd printer. Still works, except of the print head, it is dryed during the time. It also has ASF. Trying to clean the print head, but no chance yet.
Olivetti ET Compact 60. Ok, this is elecotronic typewriter, but it has add on serial interface. I used it on my ST besides the NL 10 for high quality text print until I got BJ 300
Brother HL 1450 laser. This one replaced the BJ 300, It's still there and still prints regular as my main printer. It's not that old, but more than 15 years nonstop powered on until now. My best printer buy ever.
And now it comes to the 'real' collection:
Olivetti DM 95, DM 99, DM 100, DM 105, DM 250 with ASF, DM 309, DM 324L, JP 350, PG 404 and a few (about 5 or 6) Olivetti electronic typewriters with computer interface (serial or parallel)
Triumph Adler Gabriele 9009 with IEC interface (elecronic typewriter with C64 interface)
Nec P6Plus (plus a spare mechanics)
ATARI SMM 804, SLM 804, SLM 605
Commodore MPS 803
Olivetti PL 10 (plotter, same mechanics as Commodore MPS 1520) for Olivetti M10 (similar to TRS 80 Mod 100)
HP Laserjet 4P (wasn't planned to collect this, just fished it with some wanted things, but it is a good one, also on my ATARI computers)
That Olivetti PG 404 laser printer is the newest of the collection, just recieved it this week. Very nice, it uses the same mechanics and toner/drum as ATARI SLM 605, and the Olivetti has emulation for LaserJet IIID/P, IBM Proprinter, Epson FX 80. Very usefull with old computers!
STAR NL 10 with centronics and IEC interface and automatic sheet feeder. This is my personal first printer, used in the 80's on my C64 and ST. Still works fine.
Canon BJ 300, my 2nd printer. Still works, except of the print head, it is dryed during the time. It also has ASF. Trying to clean the print head, but no chance yet.
Olivetti ET Compact 60. Ok, this is elecotronic typewriter, but it has add on serial interface. I used it on my ST besides the NL 10 for high quality text print until I got BJ 300
Brother HL 1450 laser. This one replaced the BJ 300, It's still there and still prints regular as my main printer. It's not that old, but more than 15 years nonstop powered on until now. My best printer buy ever.
And now it comes to the 'real' collection:
Olivetti DM 95, DM 99, DM 100, DM 105, DM 250 with ASF, DM 309, DM 324L, JP 350, PG 404 and a few (about 5 or 6) Olivetti electronic typewriters with computer interface (serial or parallel)
Triumph Adler Gabriele 9009 with IEC interface (elecronic typewriter with C64 interface)
Nec P6Plus (plus a spare mechanics)
ATARI SMM 804, SLM 804, SLM 605
Commodore MPS 803
Olivetti PL 10 (plotter, same mechanics as Commodore MPS 1520) for Olivetti M10 (similar to TRS 80 Mod 100)
HP Laserjet 4P (wasn't planned to collect this, just fished it with some wanted things, but it is a good one, also on my ATARI computers)
That Olivetti PG 404 laser printer is the newest of the collection, just recieved it this week. Very nice, it uses the same mechanics and toner/drum as ATARI SLM 605, and the Olivetti has emulation for LaserJet IIID/P, IBM Proprinter, Epson FX 80. Very usefull with old computers!
Stone
10k Member
I've only owned one and it's in my closet, still NIB! It came with a computer I bought in 2009 and I never opened it.
Chrisssssssss
New Member
I'm new here, but I thought I would list my printer Collection... 1 Apple Silent Type thermal printer, 3x Apple Imagewriter II (Rom 01,03,05), Laserwriter IInt, and my new ones 2x HP Color Laserjet Pro 1312nfi all in one... I actually have the Color Laserjet's connected to y current machine, and have been playing with the Imagewriter II's on my old IBM Thinkpad x60 using the C-Itoh 8510 Printer driver. Kinda neat... I a having problems with the Laserwriter and the paper feed though. Slowly working on that and looking at the IIg logic board upgrade so I can connect it Ethernet to my network.
Chris
2x Apple II+
2x Apple //c
Mac SEHD
Mac Classic II
Mac IIvx
Mac LC 475
IBM Thinkpad X60
MacBook Pro 2006 15" 1,1 Core Duo 2GHz 2GB
MacBook Pro Late 2011 15" 8,2 i7 Quad 2.2Ghz 8GB 250SSD
Chris
2x Apple II+
2x Apple //c
Mac SEHD
Mac Classic II
Mac IIvx
Mac LC 475
IBM Thinkpad X60
MacBook Pro 2006 15" 1,1 Core Duo 2GHz 2GB
MacBook Pro Late 2011 15" 8,2 i7 Quad 2.2Ghz 8GB 250SSD
1944GPW
Veteran Member
My dad had the small IBM ProPrinter back in the day and he thought it was the greatest thing since bit-sliced bread. He absolutely loved the front feed slot for easily loading single pages, quite an unusual feature for home-grade printers at the time.