IBM Wheelwriter/Options/PC Printer
From Bibliotheca Anonoma
Revision as of 00:50, 3 October 2016 by Antonizoon (talk | contribs)
The PC Printer Option is a Parallel interface for printing from a PC, effectively transforming the IBM Wheelwriter into a daisywheel printer. Unfortunately, it was also expensive at the time, and remains rare to this day.
However, there are hopes that this accessory can be replicated on an Arduino, for attachment to a Raspberry Pi.
Variants
There are about 3 variants of the PC Printer Option, designed for different typewriter series.
- IBM Wheelwriter 5 - I've never seen this variant but all evidence points to it's existence. It uses a different connection wire than the WW3.
- IBM Wheelwriter 3 - A slightly newer variant of the Wheelwriter 5. It uses a different connection wire than the WW5, so even though the casing is the same, the option cards aren't.
- IBM Wheelwriter 1000/Personal Wheelwriter 2 - A smaller, lighter version of the Wheelwriter which requires a different design and shape for the option card than the WW1500.
- IBM/Lexmark Wheelwriter 1500/3500 - These were the last Wheelwriters made, and are dual labeled with IBM/Lexmark. These Wheelwriters supports printing backwards, cutting the printing time in half. When it takes 2 minutes to print with previous models, that's quite an improvement.
Attaching the PC Printer Option
File:Ww-printer-option-installation.pdf
Excerpt of the original Option Installation Manual, regarding the PC Printer Option. Helpfully provided by an IBM Wheelwriter vendor.
