Xerox 9700

Xerox 9700 was a pioneering laser printer introduced by Xerox in 1977. It was the first commercial product to combine xerography with a laser imaging system and digital input, directly producing high-quality output from digital data. This system established the fundamental architecture for all subsequent laser printers and had a profound impact on document processing and office automation.

Overview

The Xerox 9700 represented a revolutionary leap in printing technology, moving beyond the analog photocopier model. Unlike earlier systems that required physical masters, it could print directly from digital information stored on magnetic tape or received from a host mainframe computer. Its introduction marked the beginning of the digital printing era for offices, enabling the production of complex documents like invoices, financial reports, and technical manuals with unprecedented speed and quality. The printer's design was heavily influenced by research from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), particularly the earlier Xerox Alto personal computer and its Bravo word processor.

Development and release

Development of the Xerox 9700 stemmed from work at Xerox PARC on the EARS (Ethernet, Alto, Research character generator, Scanned laser output terminal) project, which aimed to create a networked office system. Key engineers like Gary Starkweather, who had pioneered laser printing at Xerox, contributed to its underlying technology. The project was formally launched within the Xerox Printing Systems Division in Webster, New York, to create a product for the burgeoning data processing market. It was officially announced in 1977, with the first units shipped to major customers like the United States Air Force and large insurance companies.

Technical specifications

The system utilized a modulated argon-ion laser to write images onto a rotating photoreceptor drum. It featured a powerful dedicated minicomputer, based on a Microprogrammed processor, to rasterize the page image. Standard input was via magnetic tape drives, though it could also connect directly to IBM mainframes like the IBM System/370. It supported a printing resolution of 300 dots per inch (DPI) and could output at speeds of up to 120 pages per minute on continuous fanfold paper. The printer used a Canon engine core and was renowned for its ability to merge variable data with pre-stored forms and to use multiple fonts, which were stored on magnetic disk.

Impact and legacy

The Xerox 9700 had an immediate and lasting impact on the printing industry and corporate data centers. It made on-demand publishing a reality, allowing organizations like the Social Security Administration to generate millions of personalized letters. Its success spurred competition, leading directly to products like the IBM 3800 and later the Canon LBP-10. The architecture and concepts proven by the 9700 were scaled down into the famous Xerox Star office system and ultimately the HP LaserJet, bringing laser printing to the masses. It is considered a landmark achievement in the history of information technology.

Operational history

Initially deployed in high-volume environments such as utility companies, banking institutions, and government agencies, the Xerox 9700 was renowned for its reliability and duty cycle. Major installations included the Internal Revenue Service for printing tax forms and the Boeing corporation for technical documentation. Throughout the early 1980s, it remained the premier system for transactional printing and direct mail applications. It was eventually superseded by more compact and cost-effective models like the Xerox 8700 and Xerox 9790, but many units remained in service for over a decade due to their robust construction and high output quality.

Category:Xerox printers Category:Laser printers Category:American inventions Category:1977 in technology