Basic information on the computer printer — when one stops to think about the ways in which a computer is able to display its information on paper — reveals a computer peripheral able to produce hard copy documents from out of thin “electronic” air, so to speak. Printers have been a companion to the common computer, in one form or another, for a long time.
For the most part, computer printers are peripheral devices meant to interface with a PC or Mac. This means they have been developed to support the overall mission of the computer. Nowadays, they’re found next to or near just about any PC or Mac as a local device (meant to print out just for that computer) or as the network device for a group of computers, all of whom “share” the printer.
Many modern printers today are also able to interface directly with media devices such as digital cameras, for example. With a memory card or memory stick the camera uses to store images (which is made to interface with printers), images can be produced without having to use a PC or Mac as an intermediary. The print job can be tasked solely by the print machine and the user.
Many times — when interfaced with a computer in a small office/home office or home situation — printers can be bundled together in one package with other peripherals such as scanners and fax machines. These printers are known as all-in-one machines and they combine print capabilities with the ability to scan documents into the computer or fax documents directly from the computer, in many cases.
Most printers designed for PCs or Macs — and even those meant to be connected to a network — are considered to be low-volume, short turnaround-time printing machines. This means the print job they handle can be tasked directly and then almost immediately produced. In contrast, commercial printing services specialize in high-quality reproductions on longer turnaround times.
Printers are also relatively slow, especially when compared to an automated high speed printing press. At their best, the industry standard for even a networked (and expensive) laserjet printer comes in at about 30 pages per minute of print product and at a higher cost per page. But the convenience of having printing on demand can usually overcome the initial lure of making exclusive use of printing services.
The computer printer is an important companion to its master, the PC or Mac. In fact, it’s improved in capability right alongside the improvement in capability of many personal computers or Macs for a great many years. It’s meant to be more of a low-volume-but-short-turnaround-time machine, and it’s so common alongside the computer these days, that computer users rarely give it a second glance.
Matthew Kerridge is an expert in computer products. If you want further information about varieties of printer or are looking for a trusted computer retailer please visit http://www.ebuyer.com
categories: printers,printer,computers,electronics
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