ImageWriter
The
ImageWriter was a
dot matrix printer manufactured by
Apple Computer in the early
1980s. Designed to work with the
Apple II and
Macintosh computers, it could produce images as well as text, up to a resolution of 144
dpi. This permitted it to produce
WYSIWYG output from the screen of the computer, which was an important aspect for promoting the concept of the
GUI. The ImageWriter could also produce basic colour images using a colour ribbon, a feature that was supported by the original black and white version of
QuickDraw that was used to create the screen and print images on the Mac. Quality was adequate rather than startling, and the ImageWriter II released in the late 1980s improved resolution to 216 dpi. It was a cheap and cheerful alternative to the vastly more expensive
LaserWriter.