Xerox 9200

Xerox 9200. The Xerox 9200 was a pioneering high-speed, duplex laser printing system introduced in the late 1970s. It represented a significant evolution in Xerox's PARC-inspired office automation technology, bringing advanced electronic printing capabilities to corporate data centers. As a direct descendant of the experimental Xerox 9700, it helped commercialize laser printing for high-volume production environments.

Overview

The system was engineered as a robust, centralized printing resource, often interfacing with mainframe computers like those from IBM and Digital Equipment Corporation. It was designed to handle demanding print jobs from large organizations, including utilities, insurance companies, and government agencies. The printer's ability to produce high-quality text and graphics at speed made it a cornerstone of early COM replacement and distributed printing networks. Its introduction coincided with the growing adoption of database management systems and transaction processing software that required substantial physical output.

Development and release

Development was led by Xerox's Office Systems Division, building directly upon the research from Gary Starkweather and the work at Xerox PARC that produced the Xerox Alto. The project aimed to create a production-ready version of the Xerox 9700, which itself was based on a modified Xerox 7000 copier engine. Announced in 1977, the 9200 entered the market during a period of intense competition in the office equipment sector with companies like IBM and Eastman Kodak. Its release was strategically important for Xerox as it sought to leverage its investment in xerography and laser technology beyond traditional copiers into the nascent field of computer printing.

Technical specifications

The printer utilized a scanned helium-neon laser to write images onto a photoconductive drum, a core process of xerography. It could print at a speed of two pages per second (120 ppm), with a resolution of 300 dots per inch. A key feature was its integrated duplexing unit, allowing for automatic two-sided printing, which was rare for its time. The system relied on a dedicated minicomputer, typically a DEC PDP-11, for raster image processing and job management. It supported a variety of page description languages and fonts, interfacing through parallel channels or early network protocols.

Impact and legacy

The Xerox 9200 established a new class of printers known as "laser line printers" or "page printers," directly influencing the design of later systems from IBM, Siemens, and Hewlett-Packard. It demonstrated the commercial viability of laser printing for high-volume statement and report generation, paving the way for the laser printer market. The technology and expertise gained from the 9200 project fed directly into the development of the more famous Xerox Star office system and the Xerox 9700's successors. Its role in automating large-scale document production contributed to the evolution of document management and business processes in the 1980s.

Models and variants

The primary model was the Xerox 9200 Printing System. A notable variant was the Xerox 8700, which succeeded it with higher speed and enhanced features. The platform also served as the basis for specialized configurations, including those integrated with proprietary Xerox Network Systems (XNS) for distributed printing. While not as numerous in model variations as later product lines, the 9200 family's architecture was refined into subsequent generations of Xerox production printers that competed with systems from Océ and Canon.

Category:Xerox printers Category:Laser printers Category:Computer printers introduced in 1977