The Continuing Impact of Printers on the Office
| Date | 01 July 1987 |
| Pages | 10-11 |
| Published date | 01 July 1987 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb057481 |
| Author | John Carter |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
The Continuing
Impact
of Printers
on the Office
by John Carter
Head of Brother's Computer Peripherals
Division, London
Introduction
The need to buy the right computer and software to suit
your own business needs has been well voiced and
understood, especially in today's competitive market-place.
What has perhaps not been so well documented has been
the importance of selecting the right printer. Now, with the
emergence of the laser printer, ink jets and the increasing
sophistication of dot matrix and daisywheels, choosing a
printer has become as bewildering and complex as the
computer itself.
Here,
we look at trends and future developments in the
industry, and advise on what factors businesses should
consider when buying a printer.
On Offer
Originally, the printer market broke down very neatly into
daisywheels — largely used for letter quality work — and
the rough draft, but quicker, dot matrix machines. Over the
years,
new technology, coupled with demands from industry
and commerce for higher printer specification to meet the
needs of more complex software, for example, has led to
a blurring of the once clear-cut divisions.
Currently, there are dot matrix machines that have "near
letter quality" print, and daisywheels with much increased
speeds and basic graphics. Added to these developments,
we have seen the launch of the laser printer which, unlike
its "impact" technology-based cousins, works in much the
same way as a photocopier. And
then,
just to confuse the
issue,
there are ink jets or "squirters" which, whilst
producing excellent letter quality, tend to be expensive and
messy; thermals, which again produce good letter qualify
but require special thermal paper or expensive ribbons, and
the more specialist machines, like printer plotters — ideal
for producing colourful graphics.
But of all the printers available at the moment, it is the dot
matrix which has come closest to meeting the needs of the
general office. Through increasingly high print speeds —
we are now talking in terms of lines per minute rather than
characters per second — and the ability to produce intricate
graphics, the dot matrix has gained widespread popularity
amongst both businessmen and home users.
Such acceptance has not been due solely to the machine's
versatility. In the past, one of the main criticisms of matrix
printers was that their output quality for letters, documents
and reports was poor. But the development of a near letter-
quality print mode, and printing heads with more than the
standard nine pins, has resulted in considerable
improvement of resolution.
Despite all these technological advances, I believe that the
dot matrix will still be the dominant force in the market by
the end of the decade. However, I do not believe that the
higher dot matrix specification, together with the laser
printer, has signalled the beginning of the end for the
daisywheel — an opinion that has often been voiced in the
industry. Demand for our HR daisywheel series is such that
we can hardly produce enough.
Daisywheels in Demand
At present, we are experiencing a 50 per cent increase in
sales for all our daisywheels, despite a marginal increase
in prices. That is sufficient proof that this vanguard printer
has a future. What is more, Brother is continuing to develop
improved daisywheel specifications in support of this
conviction.
There will always be a need for high-quality print which
impacts on to paper. This is particularly true of banks,
solicitors and insurance companies where sensitive
documents require machines which not only print on to
paper, but also make a definite mark so that the imprint can
never be erased from the page.
these developments have led to a
surge in product diversification,
making a walk into a printer
showroom rather daunting. . .
Clearly, though, many daisywheel printing applications will
be replaced by lasers. After just two years on the market,
the laser has already carved a very sizeable share for itself
as a fast and sophisticated letter-quality printer. That is not
entirely surprising when you consider the extent of the
machine's applications and capabilities.
With graphics and high-resolution printing facilities as
standard,
even the most basic laser can produce complex
newsletters, charts, catalogues and reports. Such
professionally presented literature not only impresses in the
business world, but also makes a great deal of financial
sense,
as there are no typesetting, design or printing costs.
However, one of few criticisms levelled at the laser is that
its non-impact technology does not produce carbon copies.
But this disadvantage could soon be cancelled out as more
and more companies are won over by the paperless office
10 IMDS • JULY/AUGUST • 1987
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