[net.consumers] Summary on BROTHERS EP-20 replies and a query

gm@sdcsla.UUCP (04/23/84)

I received 4 replies to my enquiry, one positive, three negative.
I summarize the most important comments below. Now ... does anybody
know anything about the CANON TYPESTAR 5, which is variously advertised
as weighin 4 or 6 pounds and having 2 or 4 different typefaces. Replies
by mail to me, I will summarize to net if there are enough of them.


POSITIVE RESPONSE:
The main peeve I have about it is that after performing midline
corrections you have to press the forward arrow key to the end of
line.  The other problem is that you can't type envelopes.  Other
than that I love it.

NEGATIVE RESPONSES:
1.
Frankly, the basic problem is that it uses a thermal printhead
which produces very poor dot matrix output (no descenders).
Without special thermal paper, a special ribbon cartridge
can be used, but it is only marginally
better.  It has a 10-character LCD display, and one can set the device
to type immediately or upon "scrolling" out of the 10 display.  This is
very useful, but the poor output quality, the weird keyboard (much like
the publically maligned PCJr keyboard) and extremely slow carriage
return time limit just what you might want to do with it.  I wouldn't
even subject friends to it through a personal letter.  Output looks 
like a dying Decwriter LA36 with a threadbare ribbon.
You can see that it's a clunker, because they almost immediately made it
obsolete by selling a version with an RS232 interface.  This, at least,
has the virtue of low-cost for cheap home computers.  Also, I have
I don't know if the print quality has been improved.

2.
I've got the EP-22, essentially the same as the EP-20, but with an RS232
for use as a computer printer (it's RO) and some memory typewriter
features. It's a pretty nice portable printer, but as a
typewriter leaves quite a bit
to be desired.  It uses either thermal paper or plain paper with a
thermal ribbon.  The type is fairly coarse dot matrix and it
lacks descenders. 
I'd not want to send a letter typed on it to even a casual acquaintance.
The keyboard does not have anywhere close to the feel of a
"real" typewriter.

3.
I had once got a 15 day free trial for the EP-20. I typed 2 or 3
letters and used up the two free ribbon cassettes that came with
the machine. ----> Excessive !!
It would only type legibly on glazed paper.
It does allow the use of thermal paper... but that is no good.
On the whole... I returned it and never even thought about it.


George Mandler

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