Re:MX-80 – Ahead of its time: A small, lightweight computer ...
by jamespo on Sunday December 09, 2018 @05:55AM
(#18640270)
try a2ps, used to use it at University to get multiple pages on 1 sheet: https://www.gnu.org/software/a2ps/
Re:MX-80 – Ahead of its time: A small, lightweight computer ...
by userbinator on Sunday December 09, 2018 @01:09PM
(#18642260)
They go about EUR200+ these days. Sadly, the one I'd liked (DIN A3 format, so to be able to print out long lines of code without wrapping, with 4 colors for some basic syntax highlite) are in the EUR1000 range.
The reason for this being that they're still produced with the same level of quality they used to be, while "consumer level" printers have become more cost-optimised and less reliable. Dot matrix printers are still used in commercial/industrial applications so they haven't been subjected to the same race-to-the-bottom that consumer printers have.
Re:MX-80 – Ahead of its time: A small, lightweight computer ...
by zmix on Friday December 14, 2018 @10:14AM
(#18681320)
Yes, I understand. InkJets bring in the money via the ink and also, the market for dot-matrix must now be smaller, than it was, when that printing technique was the only affordable on the market.
Re:MX-80 – Ahead of its time: A small, lightweight computer ...
by Klinky on Sunday December 09, 2018 @12:13PM
(#18641933)
If it's a hundred pages on laser, how is it going to be any fewer pages on dot matrix? It's not like dot matrix is going to magically improve spatial information density. Also toner is the most efficient use of ink, a ribbon is certainly not efficient.
Re:MX-80 – Ahead of its time: A small, lightweight computer ...
by slededit on Monday December 10, 2018 @02:03AM
(#18645824)
The ink is a lot cheaper than toner.
Re:MX-80 – Ahead of its time: A small, lightweight computer ...
by zmix on Friday December 14, 2018 @10:15AM
(#18681325)
That is, what I guess, though I have no numbers. That dot-matrix ribbon ink is cheaper than toner.
Also, I'd like to have a A3 sized, colored dot matrix printer. That as Laser would be extremly expensive.
Re:MX-80 – Ahead of its time: A small, lightweight computer ...
by detaro on Sunday December 09, 2018 @08:35AM
(#18640778)
Modern office inkjet printers can be quite cheap too, at ~3$ ink cost per thousand pages b/w. E.g. Canon's Pixma G series has models with integrated tanks you can refill with ink bottles (instead of cartridges).
Re:MX-80 – Ahead of its time: A small, lightweight computer ...
by biggusdickus on Sunday December 09, 2018 @12:41PM
(#18642109)
Check out Sony DPT-RP1.
Problem was, that the printout would have been over a hundred pages. Too expensive and feels like a waste of resources.
Then I remembered dot-matrix printers and checked out the market. They go about EUR200+ these days. Sadly, the one I'd liked (DIN A3 format, so to be able to print out long lines of code without wrapping, with 4 colors for some basic syntax highlite) are in the EUR1000 range.
My text-editor on the Amiga (in the 90's) would have a special print utility, that would allow to format the text (source code) in a way to fit as much text on the paper as possible, by choosing a smaller font, having multiple columns, etc.
Interestingly, nothing similar seems in production, these days.
So, ideally there'd be an affordable dot-matrix color printer, without a fixed line length (set it in the driver), and some pleasing monotype font for coders (including special chars like function arrows) as one of its internal charsets along with a utility I described above. My eyes would love it!