DECwriter
1970s-80s computer terminal series / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The DECwriter series was a family of computer terminals from Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). They were typically used in a fashion similar to a teletype, with a computer output being printed to paper and the user inputting information on the keyboard. In contrast to teletypes, the DECwriters were based on dot matrix printer technology, one of the first examples of such a system to be introduced. Versions lacking a keyboard were also available for use as computer printers, which eventually became the only models as smart terminals became the main way to interact with mainframes and minicomputers in the 1980s.
There were four series of machines, starting with the original DECwriter in 1970, the DECwriter II in 1974, DECwriter III in 1978, and the final DECwriter IV in 1982. The first three were physically similar, large machines mounted on a stand normally positioned above a box of fanfold paper. They differed primarily in speed and the selection of computer interfaces. The IV was significantly different, intended for desktop use and looking more like an IBM Selectric typewriter than a traditional printer. Most models were available without a keyboard for print-only usage, in which case they were later known as DECprinters.
The DECwriters were among DEC's best-selling products, notably the II and III series.