sdyer@bbncc5.UUCP (Steve Dyer) (10/11/85)
I have been volunteering my efforts helping a small newspaper place their
subscription records on a PC. For the past few months, they have been
using an Okidata 93 to print subscription labels, which turns out to be
approximately one run of 5000 labels each week, along with a smaller volume
of word-processing related output. The printer had been performing
relatively well, but it is beginning to become somewhat more persnickety,
requiring constant monitoring during a long printout to avoid jamming
and overstriking due to tractor slippages. I am beginning to suspect that
a consumer-grade machine, like the Oki 93, simply can't handle the heavy
duty cycle which this newspaper is asking of it.
I am looking for recommendations for dot-matrix printers which are designed
for heavy use. I will summarize any responses I receive.
Thanks,
--
/Steve Dyer
{harvard,seismo}!bbnccv!bbncc5!sdyer
sdyer@bbncc5.ARPAWax.OsbuSouth@xerox.arpa (10/14/85)
Xerox makes the 630 and the LQ34?32? which are designed for heavy duty use. Also look into the Mannesman-Tally line. Allan Wax Wax.ES@Xerox.ARPA Wax.OsbuSouth@Xerox.ARPA
cem@intelca.UUCP (Chuck McManis) (10/22/85)
> .... I am beginning to suspect that > a consumer-grade machine, like the Oki 93, simply can't handle the heavy > duty cycle which this newspaper is asking of it. > Your observations are completely correct for that kind of volume. I have seen in action both Printronix (we have two in our lab that run almost constantly sometimes) and some Dataproducts. The Printronix are fairly expensive (>5K) but they have a new one out (the MVP) which is only half as fast (150 lpm) but seems to be up to their demanding level of durability. --Chuck -- - - - D I S C L A I M E R - - - {ihnp4,fortune}!dual\ All opinions expressed herein are my {qantel,idi}-> !intelca!cem own and not those of my employer, my {ucbvax,hao}!hplabs/ friends, or my avocado plant. :-}
davidsen@steinmetz.UUCP (Davidsen) (10/24/85)
A number of us at GE have been using Tally printers (160L) for several years. We got them for the following reasons: [1] we couldn't get Epsons, [2] they speak both serail and parallel, a bonus in a group wich does software support for both Rainbows and IBM's, [3] the only switch to set is the power switch. The infant mortality has been rather high, although all were fixed in a few weeks under warantee. After infant mortality, no failures in several years. There are at least eight of these around now. The ribbon life is about fairly independent of the use, and they tend to dry out every ten weeks or so even if lightly used. They also last that long in fairly heavy usage. The near letter quality is good enough to use for almost anything, including a resume. There is also a new Cannon "Epson clone" out, cost about $299 in this area. It's too early to tell about reliability, but they are rated at 100% duty cycle, and one of the local stores has put a few boxes of paper thru one without problems. That constitutes a lot of months use for most people. The head design is massive, with more fins than a shark. -- billD (..seismo!rochester!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen) (davidsen@GE-CRD.ARPA) "It seemed like a good idea at the time..."