From the «miss that awesome sound» department:
Title: How dot matrix printers created text
Author: Thom Holwerda
Date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 22:15:43 +0000
Link: https://www.osnews.com/story/140137/how-dot-matrix-printers-created-text/

The impact printer was a mainstay of the early desktop computing era. Also
called “dot matrix printers,” these printers could print low-resolution yet
very readable text on a page, and do so quickly and at a low price point. But
these printers are a relic of the past; in 2024, you might find them printing
invoices or shipping labels, although more frequently these use cases have
been replaced by other types of printers such as thermal printers and laser
printers.
[…]

The heart of the impact printer is the print head. The print head contained a
column of pins (9 pins was common) that moved across the page. Software in
the printer controlled when to strike these pins through an inked ribbon to
place a series of “dots” on a page. By carefully timing the pin strikes with
the movement of the print head, the printer could control where each dot was
placed. A column of dots might represent the vertical stroke of the letter H,
a series of single dots created the horizontal bar, and another column would
create the final vertical stroke.
↫ Jim Hall at Technically We Write[1]

Our first printer was a dot matrix model, from I think a brand called Star or
something similar. Back then, in 1991 or so, a lot of employers in The
Netherlands offered programs wherein employees could buy computers through
their work, offered at a certain discount. My parents jumped on the opportunity
when my mom’s employer offered such a program, and through it, we bought a
brand new 286 machine running MS-DOS and Windows 3.0, and it included said dot
matrix printer.

There’s something about the sound and workings of a dot matrix printer that
just can’t be bested by modern ink, laser, or LED printers. The mechanical
punching, at such a fast rate it sounded like a tiny Gatling gun, was
mesmerising, especially when paired with continuous form paper. Carefully
ripping off the perforated edges of the paper after printing was just a nice
bonus that entertained me quite a bit as a child.

I was surprised to learn that dot matrix printers are still being manufactured
and sold today, and even comes in colour. They’re quite a bit more expensive
than other printer types these days, but I have a feeling they’re aimed at
enterprises and certain niches, which probably means they’re going to be of
considerably higher quality than all the other junk printers that clog the
market. With a bit more research, it might actually be possible to find a brand
new colour dot matrix printer that is a better choice than some of the modern
alternatives.

The fact that I’m not contemplating buying a brand new dot matrix printer in
2024, even though I rarely print, is a mildly worrying development.

Links:
[1]: https://technicallywewrite.com/2024/07/01/dotmatrix (link)

On 08 Jul 2024 00:55:25 GMT, Retrograde wrote:

> The mechanical punching, at such a fast rate it sounded like a tiny
> Gatling gun ...

You want Gatling gun? Pukka rat-a-tat-a-tat? Try a daisy-wheel printer.

Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> writes:

> From the "miss that awesome sound" department:
> Title: How dot matrix printers created text
> Author: Thom Holwerda
> Date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 22:15:43 +0000
> Link: https://www.osnews.com/story/140137/how-dot-matrix-printers-created-text/

Jeez, you kids. Never even heard the "awesome sound" of a skilled
typist using a typewriter.....clatter clatter stottle-spop....dit.

> The impact printer was a mainstay of the early desktop computing era. Also
> called "dot matrix printers,"...

The DecWriter hard-copy terminal was also "dot matrix", albeit
lacking the ability of much later desktop printers to nudge dots closer
together horizontally, improving readability.

> The heart of the impact printer is the print head.

Amazingly massive device on the DecWriter.

> Links:
> [1]: https://technicallywewrite.com/2024/07/01/dotmatrix (link)

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:
>
> Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> writes:
>
<snip>
>
> Jeez, you kids. Never even heard the "awesome sound" of a skilled
> typist using a typewriter.....clatter clatter stottle-spop....dit.

There was a song posted a long time ago by a group
of typists using their typewriter as an instrument.
I lost the link :(

<snip>

--
[t]csh(1) - "An elegant shell, for a more... civilized age."
- Paraphrasing Star Wars

trimmed followups to: comp.misc

In comp.misc Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> wrote:
> From the «miss that awesome sound» department:
> Title: How dot matrix printers created text
> Author: Thom Holwerda
> Date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 22:15:43 +0000
> Link:
>https://www.osnews.com/story/140137/how-dot-matrix-printers-created-text/
>
>
> The impact printer was a mainstay of the early desktop computing era. Also
> called “dot matrix printers,” ...

That is the only printer I have at home :)

I keep thinking of getting into the modern era,
but I really do not need to yet.

<snip>

--
[t]csh(1) - "An elegant shell, for a more... civilized age."
- Paraphrasing Star Wars

Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> writes:

> Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> writes:
>
>> From the "miss that awesome sound" department:
>> Title: How dot matrix printers created text
>> Author: Thom Holwerda
>> Date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 22:15:43 +0000
>> Link: https://www.osnews.com/story/140137/how-dot-matrix-printers-created-text/
>
> Jeez, you kids. Never even heard the "awesome sound" of a skilled
> typist using a typewriter.....clatter clatter stottle-spop....dit.

I once had an office mate that would make an awesome buzzing sound as he
typed. One day I noticed the sound and turned around to see what he was
doing. Much to my surprise he was doing it typing with 2 fingers.

Years before the place I was consulting at asked me to help out
with a program to clean the print train on an IBM 1403 N1.
This printer would do 1100 lines per minute.
You cleaned it by removing the ribbon and putting a Velcro like paper in
the printer.

So I looked at the print train and found the order characters appeared
on the train. Then I wrote an assembler program using data chaining to
print 100 lines with one I/O command and loop. The characters were in the same
order as the print train so all the magnets could fire at once.

When we ran it, the printer produced a loud screeching sound, unlike the
sounds it made during regular printing. The operators were pretty happy
with their new toy. The only problem is it cleaned the printer too fast
so the fun didn't last long enough.

--
Dan Espen

On Mon, 08 Jul 2024 17:49:08 -0400, Dan Espen wrote:

> So I looked at the print train and found the order characters appeared
> on the train. Then I wrote an assembler program using data chaining to
> print 100 lines with one I/O command and loop. The characters were in
> the same order as the print train so all the magnets could fire at once.
>
> When we ran it, the printer produced a loud screeching sound, unlike the
> sounds it made during regular printing. The operators were pretty happy
> with their new toy. The only problem is it cleaned the printer too fast
> so the fun didn't last long enough.

That could cause an overload on some printers.

You might like this story.

http://www.bobeager.uk/anecdotes.html#fuse

--
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

On Mon, 8 Jul 2024 20:04:05 -0000 (UTC), John McCue wrote:

> There was a song posted a long time ago by a group of typists using
> their typewriter as an instrument.
> I lost the link :(

Leroy Anderson’s “The Typewriter”?

On 08 Jul 2024 16:42:06 -0300, Mike Spencer wrote:

> Never even heard the "awesome sound" of a skilled
> typist using a typewriter.....clatter clatter stottle-spop....dit.

Mechanical or electric?

Other pre-Ice-Age devices I have done a certain amount of text-entry on:
Creed teleprinter, IBM 129 card punch. You want to talk about noises? We
can talk about noises.

Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> wrote:
>Our first printer was a dot matrix model, from I think a brand called Star or
>something similar. Back then, in 1991 or so, a lot of employers in The
>Netherlands offered programs wherein employees could buy computers through
>their work, offered at a certain discount. My parents jumped on the opportunity
>when my mom’s employer offered such a program, and through it, we bought a
>brand new 286 machine running MS-DOS and Windows 3.0, and it included said dot
>matrix printer.

That would be Star Micronics. A step below Epson, a step above Panasonic.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Dan Espen <dan1espen@gmail.com> wrote at 21:49 this Monday (GMT):
> Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> writes:
>
>> Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> writes:
>>
>>> From the "miss that awesome sound" department:
>>> Title: How dot matrix printers created text
>>> Author: Thom Holwerda
>>> Date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 22:15:43 +0000
>>> Link: https://www.osnews.com/story/140137/how-dot-matrix-printers-created-text/
>>
>> Jeez, you kids. Never even heard the "awesome sound" of a skilled
>> typist using a typewriter.....clatter clatter stottle-spop....dit.
>
> I once had an office mate that would make an awesome buzzing sound as he
> typed. One day I noticed the sound and turned around to see what he was
> doing. Much to my surprise he was doing it typing with 2 fingers.

I don't get people who only use 2 fingers..

> Years before the place I was consulting at asked me to help out
> with a program to clean the print train on an IBM 1403 N1.
> This printer would do 1100 lines per minute.
> You cleaned it by removing the ribbon and putting a Velcro like paper in
> the printer.
>
> So I looked at the print train and found the order characters appeared
> on the train. Then I wrote an assembler program using data chaining to
> print 100 lines with one I/O command and loop. The characters were in the same
> order as the print train so all the magnets could fire at once.
>
> When we ran it, the printer produced a loud screeching sound, unlike the
> sounds it made during regular printing. The operators were pretty happy
> with their new toy. The only problem is it cleaned the printer too fast
> so the fun didn't last long enough.

Too effective :(
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:29:49 +0000, Scott Dorsey wrote:

> Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> wrote:
>>Our first printer was a dot matrix model, from I think a brand called
>>Star or something similar. Back then, in 1991 or so, a lot of employers
>>in The Netherlands offered programs wherein employees could buy
>>computers through their work, offered at a certain discount. My parents
>>jumped on the opportunity when my mom’s employer offered such a program,
>>and through it, we bought a brand new 286 machine running MS-DOS and
>>Windows 3.0, and it included said dot matrix printer.
>
> That would be Star Micronics. A step below Epson, a step above
> Panasonic.
> --scott

I bought my first dot matrix printer in 1984 (I remember this because I
was printing while the Olympics was on, with Zola Budd etc.)

It was a Canon PW1080A. It did normal printing, and also NLQ (Near Letter
Quality) which wasn't bad for the day. It printed each line twice
(bidirectional) filling in the gaps on the second pass.

Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
> On Mon, 8 Jul 2024 20:04:05 -0000 (UTC), John McCue wrote:
>
>> There was a song posted a long time ago by a group of typists using
>> their typewriter as an instrument.
>> I lost the link :(
>
> Leroy Anderson’s “The Typewriter”?

That was cool, but that was not it. It something
done with nothing but typewritters. Seeing if I can
find it now.

--
[t]csh(1) - "An elegant shell, for a more... civilized age."
- Paraphrasing Star Wars