HP ThinkJet

HP ThinkJet. The HP ThinkJet was a pioneering inkjet printer introduced by Hewlett-Packard in 1984. It represented a significant step in making quiet, compact printing technology accessible for personal and office use, competing directly with contemporary dot matrix printers and early laser printers. Its development leveraged thermal inkjet technology to provide a reliable alternative in the rapidly evolving personal computer market of the 1980s.

Overview

The device was marketed as a "personal silent printer," a direct challenge to the noisy impact printers dominant at the time, such as those from Epson and IBM. It found its primary application in business environments and with early home computer systems, including those from Compaq and the IBM Personal Computer. The printer's design emphasized portability and simplicity, aligning with Hewlett-Packard's strategy to expand its peripheral offerings beyond instruments and calculators. This model helped establish the commercial viability of drop-on-demand inkjet technology for mainstream consumers.

Technical specifications

The printer utilized a monochrome thermal inkjet printhead with a resolution of 96 dots per inch. It employed a disposable ink cartridge system, a precursor to the widely adopted HP Inkjet Print Cartridge design. The ThinkJet communicated via a Centronics-compatible parallel port or an optional RS-232 serial communication interface, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of systems like the Apple II and various MS-DOS computers. Its print speed was approximately 150 characters per second, and it used a proprietary page description language for formatting, operating with a notably low acoustic noise level compared to rivals like the Okidata Microline.

Development and release

The project originated from Hewlett-Packard's HP Labs research into microfluidics and precision manufacturing, building upon earlier work with thermal technology. Key engineers and managers involved in its creation had experience with the company's successful HP LaserJet series. It was officially announced in 1984, a period of intense competition in the printer market following the introduction of the Canon Bubble Jet. The launch was strategically timed to coincide with the expansion of the IBM PC compatible ecosystem and was supported by marketing campaigns highlighting its silence and print quality.

Impact and legacy

The commercial success of this printer demonstrated a viable market for personal inkjet printing, directly influencing the development of the immensely popular HP DeskJet series. It pressured competitors like Canon and Epson to accelerate their own non-impact printing research, shaping the entire computer peripheral industry. The technology and manufacturing processes refined for this model became foundational for subsequent Hewlett-Packard consumer printers, contributing to the company's dominance in the 1990s printer market. Its introduction is often cited as a key moment in the transition from office-shared line printers to ubiquitous personal printing.

Models and variants

The initial model, often identified by the internal code "HP 2225," was followed by several iterations offering minor improvements in reliability and interface options. A later variant, the HP ThinkJet 2, featured enhanced connectivity and was sometimes bundled with systems from Texas Instruments and Digital Equipment Corporation. Specialized versions were developed for specific markets, including a model integrated with certain Wang Laboratories office automation systems. These variants collectively helped Hewlett-Packard refine the platform before consolidating its inkjet efforts under the HP DeskJet brand name.

Category:Inkjet printers Category:Hewlett-Packard printers Category:Computer peripherals introduced in 1984