Retrotechtacular: the $175,000 laser printer

Laser printers Today are cheap And easily available. But In 1976, they were THE height of impression technology. THE IBM 3800 was THE $175,000 printer has to have In that year. (Video, integrated below.) But You I could not to have A on your desk. Even if You could allow he, THE thing East THE size of A car, And We don't do it even to want has guess What he weighs. THE printer took tractor powered continuous form paper And could TO DO 167 pages A minute has about 150 points by thumb (In fact 180 X 144). For THE save, that was as a lot as 1.7 kilometers of paper A hour!

In those days, people WHO would be to use This printer traditionally had massive banks of noisy impact printers. We imagine This device checked in a lot data treatment the person audience. Compared with has A modern laser printer, However, he necessary A plot of interview. For example, THE initial models necessary A xenon flash lamp replaced each month, although later models could go years on A bulb. Look has a few of THE material In THE video, he was probably do closer has THE END of life For these printers which were do through 1999.

Big Iron And THE Bursting

If You doesn't get A chance has play with A of these giants, You could wonder What A spark gap East. This was A common computer bedroom machine that took apart shapes has perforations. For example, You could load A in accordion stack of pay checks. THE spark gap would be divide them apart After impression, exit You with A Good stack of separated checks. He would be Also withdraw THE tractor food edges. Don't do it confuse This with A stripper, which would be band carbon copies apart. You can't to use carbon paper multicopy shapes with A laser printer. THE printer did to have A special fashion Or he would be to print several copies of THE even page In A pass.

A diagram Since THE IBM 3800 brochure

THE printer had exciting features as THE ability has to print A form simultaneously as he printed THE data. HAS TO DO This, You installed A negative that was "printed" on THE photoconductor drum with that even flash tube mentioned earlier Before THE laser did It is work.

Laser printers to have A plot In common with photocopiers. THE process East THE even except THE photocopier gets A picture on THE drum via optical while THE laser printer draw on THE drum with — surprise — A laser. IBM begin development with A IBM Photocopier I, but he I could not handle THE Speed required For THE 3800, SO he was only THE departure indicate. THE machine do remind You of A photocopier on THE inside, However. Eventually, THE printer 9,000 separated rooms would be wind up In THE hands of about 10,000 IBM users.

Below Models

THE printer had several submodels. THE First of all model had A option has to print directly Since A adhesive tape to drive. Other models were faster, had kanji characters, And improved resolution. All THE printers had A helium-neon laser, but improvements In optical pushed resolution has 240 points by thumb. THE 25 milliwatt laser used A innovative low helium diffusion glass, meaning THE tube lasted about ten times longer that comparable commercially available laser tubes In 1976.

There were a lot Things And novelties used In THE printer. For example, A special contrast brand appeared on each page. THE printer read THE brand with A DIRECTED sensor has adjust THE Rising of tonic And has detect empty pages be printed accidentally. You can read A brochure about THE modern marvel.

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