We are now in the process of developing a guideline for the profiles of all other (vintage) mac compatible printers we are going to write profiles on.
ImageWriter I
The ImageWriter I is more or less the very first Macintosh compatible printer. It was introduced shortly after the macintosh 128k and was able to print both graphics and characters. It is a heavy , solidly built matrix printer with a design that is consistent with the macintoshes of the era: the 128, the 512k and the Plus. A design that has a character of its own.
The ImageWriter is considered to be among the most durable products Apple ever produced. If you ever run into one, there is a good chance it is still fully functional despite its age of almost 20 years.
Weak points
The ImageWriter I has several weak points. For starters it isn't networkable. The printouts aren't really great. I am not sure about other ImageWriter I's, but even in the highest quality mode mine produces characters that are a bit to thick and you can clearly see that they consist of small points (something that is less visible in the ImageWriter II and LQ). The draft mode produces rather worthless printouts with lots of double spacings. This improves wehen printing documents set in the monaco font.
Another major weak point is the fact that the ImageWriter I cannot print in the background, not when using the classic Mac OS anyway.
Strong Points
The ImageWriter I, like most matrix printers, is pretty cheap in usage. Printing hundreds of pages will only set you back a few dollars/euro's, and printing becomes even cheaper when you reink the ribbon yourself.
The ImageWriter I is also a very durable printer - a reliable workhorse that can print a whole day long without misfeeds or other troubles.
Technical overview
Processor: none
PD language: QuickDraw
Ports: serial
ROM size: none
RAM Slots: n/a
Min-Max Ram: n/a
Speed (pages per minute): depends on computer speed, but generally pretty slow
Max dpi: 144
Introduced: 6/1/1984
Discontinued: 12/1/1985
Operating systems compatibility: Prodos, Linux, Mac OS (system 1-9.2.2/10.2 (with GimpPrint installed)
Cartridges and Ribbons
Despite its age ImageWriter I compatible ribbons are still begin produced, most notably by Pelikan (www.pelikanhardcopy.com).
[other ribbon resellers: ?????]
Upgrades The ImageWriter I cannot be upgraded.
Tips ???
Online resources Apple Specs page ???
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