This printer overview is limited to the more popular dot-matrix printers, which we feel deserve your first consideration when shopping for a printer. Most of the companies have higher and lower end models, but we'll stick with the models shown, because of their popularity and dependability.

I hate to admit this, but I almost forgot to include the Atari 1025 printer in the comparison chart. Being an Atari-exclusive magazine, we felt that it should be included. Don't get me wrong -- it's a good heavy-duty general printer (actually, it's an Okidata 80), but I've been spoiled by printers offering more features.

As the chart shows, all but one of the printers use a nine-wire print head, and, unless you're looking for a near-letter quality printer with the ability to do graphics and general printouts, the nine-wire print heads are fine.

As far as the print speed, ANALOG uses both the Epson RS80 and C.Itoh Prowriter... and the slower Epson doesn't cause anyone to pace the floor in anticipation. So don't feel that speed should be your major concern (speed is slower in enhanced or letter quality modes).

Because printers are usually a lot slower than computers, a printer buffer is a nice feature. The print buffer is essentially memory that resides between the computer and printer. The buffer takes the information that is sent from the computer and sends it to the printer, according to the printer's speed limitation. With some of the larger optional buffers (up to 32K), this can leave the computer free to do other things while the printer is still at work.

Varying print modes (i.e., double width, emphasized, compressed, etc.) will have a direct effect on the print size, which is measured in characters per inch, and the number of characters per solumn. For example, the Epson's smallest type, compressed, can fit 137 characters per line. The matrix listed for each printer is for that printer's normal character, not its expanded or compressed type (see Figure 1).

If the printer has other print modes or graphics capabilities, that matrix is shown on the chart in the graphics column. All printers have the standard ASCII character set and international symbols. A few may have italics, Greek, Japanese or other optional languages and symbols. If you'll be using your printer for correspondence, I'd recommend at least having italics, if no other fonts.

Two of the printers have a nice feature that can save you some money. They plug directly into the Atari without the use of an interface. If you don't already have an interface and don't intend to buy one (perhaps you're saving up for a modem), then this can be a substantial savings. If you are planning on buying an interface, I would suggest that you look at some of the third-party ones available. They are usually less expensive and easier to find than the Atari 850.

Several years ago, reliability of printer mechanisms was a major concern. Today, however, most printers use high-reliability parts and virtually never break down. The Epson and C.Itoh printers in the ANALOG offices have been cranking out listings for over three years without any serious breakdowns. It's always better to play it safe, though, so it's a good idea to find out where the nearest repair facility is for the printer you're thinking of buying.

As you may have noticed, this is more of an overview of the more popular Atari-compatible printers not a review. However, we picked only the printers that we would highly recommend. Don't be frightened by the prices. These are the suggested retail, and you'll more than likely find them at discount prices. Depending on your needs, you'll be happy with any one of these printers.

Printer Comparison Chart

	ATARI 1025	AXIOM GP-700AT	GEMINI 10X	EPSON RX-80FT	NEC 8023A	OKIDATA 82A	MANNESMANN Tally 160	C.ITOH Prowriter
Print Head	9 wire	Hammer 4-Heads	9 wire	9 wire	9 wire	9 wire	9 wire	9 wire
Maximum Print Speed	40 cps	86 cps	160 cps Bi-Directional	100 cps Bi-Directional	120 cps	120 cps Bi-Directional	160 cps	180 cps
Buffer Size	None	1K	8K Optional	None	2K	2K Optional	2K	2K
Print Size CPI	5, 10, 16	10, 13.3	5, 6, 8.5, 10, 12, 17	5, 6, 8.5, 10, 12, 17	5, 6, 8.5, 10, 12, 17	5, 8.3, 10, 16.5	5, 6, 8.2, 10, 12, 16.5, 20	5, 6.5, 10, 12, 17
Characters Per Column	40, 80, 128	80, 106	40, 48, 68, 80, 96, 136	40, 48, 68, 80, 96, 137	40, 48, 68, 80, 96, 136	40, 66.4, 80, 132	40, 48, 65, 80, 96, 132, 160	40, 52, 80, 96, 132
Standard Print Matrix	9 x 7	7 x 8	9 x 9	9 x 9	8 x 8	9 x 9	7 x 9	8 x 9
Character Sets	ASCII International	ASCII International	ASCII Italics International	ASCII Italics International	ASCII Italics International	ASCII International	ASCII International	ASCII Greek International
No. of Fonts	1	1	8	5	4	1	1	6
Ribbon Type	1/2" Twin Spools	4-Color Cartridge	2" Twin Spools	3/8" Cartridge	1/2" Cartridge	1/2" Twin Spools	3/8" Cartridge	3/8" Cartridge
Interface	Directly to Serial Port	Directly to Serial Port	Serial Parallel	Serial Parallel	Serial	Serial Parallel	Serial Parallel	Serial Parallel
Paper Type & Size	Tractor Frictn. 3" to 9.5"	Tractor Frictn. 3" to 10"	Tractor Frictn. Roll 3" to 10"	Tractor Frictn. 4" to 10"	Tractor Frictn. 4.5" to 10"	Tractor Frictn. 3" to 9.5"	Tractor Frictn. Roll 3" to 10"	Tractor Frictn. 3" to 10"
Graphics Matrix	None	80x80	60x72 120x144 240x144	60x72 120x144 240x144	160x144	60x65 Optional	64x50 64x100	60x72 120x144
Extra Features	*No interface needed	4-Color w/Software	*No interface needed		True underline Reverse Feed		Near letter quality	RAM Character Set
Dimensions	13.3"W, 9.6"D, 4.2"H	17"W, 12.5"D, 4.5"H	21.3"W, 12.4"D, 5.3"H	14.5"W, 11.8"D, 5.2"H	15.4"W, 11.1"D, 4.7"H	14.2"W, 12.9"D, 5.2"H	13.7"W, 9.6"D, 6.2"H	15.5"W, 11.1"D, 5.3"H
Weight	13.2 lbs.	13.2 lbs.	23.8 lbs.	13.4 lbs.	18.7 lbs.	19.6 lbs.	17 lbs.	18.7 lbs.
Suggested Retail Price	$549.00	$599.00	$649.00	$499.00	$645.00	$349.00	$698.00	$755.00