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→Prowriter Printer
| requirements = console, monitor or television, RS232 interface and cable.
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The Model 8510A Prowriter is a
rugged and reliable dot matrix printer
that works well with the TI home com
puter system. During the test period
for this review. using such programs
as TI-Writer, Microsoft Multiplan,
Personal Record Keeping and other
software that makes use of a printer, it
operated without any modifications,
either to the printer, the computer or
the software.
Performance: This 80-column prin
ter has a number of features that I did
not expect to see in the under-$400
bracket. The user may choose to use
perforated (fan-fold) paper, roll paper
or plain. single-sheet typing paper.
The printer comes with a choice of six
languages (including Greek), several
type fonts (compressed, pica, elite,
proportional and elongated) and a bit
image graphics mode. The machine
uses a cloth ribbon that comes in a
cartridge.
The user may operate the paper feed
forward or reverse. The machine will
print an original and up to three
copies. according to the manufac
turer. It does not seem to accept any
thing as thick as an envelope, how
ever. The machine can accomodate
paper up to 10 inches wide.
The alphanumeric character format
is 7 dots horizontal by 9 dots vertical.
The bit image graphics mode uses an
8x8 matrix.
The machine comes standard with a
parallel interface. A serial interface is
available at an extra charge. The prin
ter comes with a l kilobyte buffer, but
a 3K buffer is also available at an extra
charge. The manufacturer says it
operates at a speed of up to 120 charac
ters per second in the bidirectional
mode. DIP switches allow the user to
select bidirectional or unidirectional
printing.
So much for some of its more
obvious features. How do I like it?
I like it. I like it. The print quality is
quite good (see sample) and the ribbon
is long-lasting. I used the same ribbon
to print hundreds of pages of copy.
much more than I could ever get out of
a cloth ribbon on a typewriter.
Although I've seen the ribbons adver
tised for as much as $9.00, I've not paid
more than $4.95 for one and have not
had any problem locating them. Incid
entally, loading and unloading the rib
bon is a snap.
The Prowriter uses a Centronics
type ribbon cable to link it to the com
puter's RS232 port. When I purchased
it, the dealer had to have the cable fab
ricated as a custom job. It cost about
$25 for a five-footer, which is about
what most such cables cost for any
printer.
DIP switches are conveniently
located and easy to reach. The on-off
switch is on the side of the machine.
There are three buttons on the front of
the machine: one for top of form feed
(which advances the paper to the next
page) and a line feed, which allows you
to advance the paper one line at a time
as long as you hold the switch down.
The third button simply activates the
other two.
There arc also lights on the front
panel to indicate that the power is on,
that the selection switch has been
activated and whether paper has been
loaded. The print head will not operate
if there is no paper to print on. A lever
on the top of the printer allows the user
to choose either friction feed, for
single-sheet pc1per. or pin feed for per
forated paper.
Paper can also be advanced
manually.
The printer is ruggedly packaged in
molded plastic. Most moving parts are
made of metal. Though it has printed
more than 2,000 pc1ges, not a single
screw has ever loosened. Despite
weighing only a bit more than 18
pounds. it seems to operate with virtu
ally no noticeable vibration.
So, how noisy is it?
Th,it's a fair question, insofor as the
printer is likely to be located within
several feet of your computer. The
noise level is about 69 decibels, which
is roughly equivalent to the decibel
levei of a noisy office, ordinary traffic
or a telephone conversation.
Ease of Use: The printer is easy to
use. Instructions for setting the DIP
switches are clear. The manual that
comes with the Prowriter includes
many software selectable settings for
different character sets ,rnd line
spacing.
Docume ntation: The printer I
reviewed came with two manuals and
a T-shirt. One of the manuals was writ
ten by Leading Edge Products Inc.
The other is a production of C. Itoh.
Both cover the same ground. though
the Leading Edge manual is written in
such a way that even a first-time prin
ter purchaser can get his machine up
and running after scanning the first
few chapters. The C. Itoh manual pro
vides more detail about the internal
workings of the machine. The two
complement each other.
The T-shirt didn't fit.
Neither manual includes any spe-
cific information about setting up the
printer for the TI home computer.
However, the explanations provided
for other computers were easy to fol
low and utilize on the TI. Although I
often had to hunt for the information, I
was always rewarded by finding out
what I wanted to know somewhere in
one of the manuals.
My only criticism of the manuals is
that neither has an index. The C. Itoh
manual has an excellent table of con
tents that helps to compensate for the
non-existent index. The Leading Edge
manual. however. begs for an index.
Then. I've been spoiled by the docu
mentation that Texas Instruments
provides with its products.
Value: This is a fine, general pur
pose printer that certainly would
have a long life in the home or small
business. Prices have come down
dramatically since it was introduced
slightly more than a year ago at $795.
'''— JK'''
