Other attempts to use typewriters as computer output devices, bearing in mind that no buffer storage was available, was to provide a row of non-printing characters after each line the printing head had time to move back to the start of the line and the print carriage time to move forward once. As typewriters incorporated more electronics and offered more sophisticated functions so other output devices were developed in this field. IBM produced a golf ball typewriter where a golf ball -shaped printing head slotted onto a stem and was moved under controlled the typewriter to print the appropriate character. The other challenger to this was the daisy wheel printer. This used hub with stalks radiating from it, the character being on the end of the stalk. Thus the daisy wheel hub could be rotated at quite high speed while a single hammer pushed the character on the end of its stalk against the ribbon and paper. Some interesting attempts were made to use this in different ways. For example using the. Character to print graphics. This was okay except that the daisy wheel wore out very quickly.
The dot-matrix principle revolutionised personal and small business computing. The dot-matrix impact printer was generally fine for business applications but not suitable for letters and other such documents. The development of inkjet printers changed all that and sounded the death knell for golf ball and daisy wheel printers. Modern inkjet printers provide sophisticated colour printing at ridiculously low prices.
Computer printers developed through some quite horrific stages. The very early serial printers, that is printing one character at a time, evolved from such weird contraptions, as a typewriter with electro-magnetically operated hammers fastened over the keyboard. Even the common barrel line printer, which lasted for many years produced output that could not be photocopied, as the characters on the drum were curved to fit the drum and consequently the top and bottom of each character was too faint when printed. I remember seeing one of the first laser printers in the UK, which occupied most of a fair sized room. But the implications of laser printing for organisations, such as banks and building societies, were most important, as the laser printer could print characters in smaller fonts, much faster, and with diagrams, forms, and headings to order, which was not posible with barrel and chain printers. These organisations could then cut their annual paper bills by substantial amount.
But even dotmatrix impact printers evolved as far as they could. The limitation is essentially the size of the dot. If the printing needle is to fine it will pierce the ink ribbon, and there is a limit to how robust and long lasting the ribbon can be. But in adverse conditions where the atmosphere might be unsafe for inkjet printers it can provide two copies on two part stationary for a customer and company copy of the bill or receipt. For maximum speed the needle is effectively fired at the ribbon and paper with the ribbon providing the recoil