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Use of dot matrix printers today The desktop impact printer was gradually replaced by the inkjet printer. When Hewlett Packard’s patents expired on steam-propelled photolithographically-produced ink-jet heads, the inkjet mechanism became available to the printer industry. The inkjet was superior in nearly all respects: comparatively quiet operation, faster print speed, and output quality almost as good as a laser printer. By the mid-1990s, inkjet technology had surpassed dot-matrix in the mainstream market. As of 2005, dot matrix impact technology remains in use in devices such as cash registers (tills), ATM, and many other point-of-sales terminals. Thermal printing is gradually supplanting them in these applications. Full-size dot-matrix impact printers are still found in printing of carbon copy multi-part stationery, and other applications where use of tractor feed paper is desirable such as computer programming, data logging and aviation. Dot matrix printers are also more tolerant of hot, dirty operating conditions found in many industrial settings. The simplicity and durability of the design allows users who are not "computer literate" to easily perform routine tasks such as changing ribbons and correcting paper jams. Some companies, such as WeP Peripherals, Epson, Okidata, Lexmark, and TallyGenicom, still produce serial and line printers. Today, a new dot matrix printer actually costs more than most inkjet printers, and some entry level laser printers. However, not much should be read into this price difference as the printing costs for inkjet and laser printers are extraordinarily higher than dot matrix printers, and the inkjet/laser printer manufacturers effectively use their monopoly over arbitrarily priced printer cartridges to subsidize the initial cost of the printer itself. Dot matrix ribbons, however, are a commodity and are not monopolized by the printer manufacturers themselves. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Back to Industry News |
