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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!charm!kalucki
From: kalucki@charm.UUCP (John Kalucki)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: DecWriter III ribbons (flame!)]
Message-ID: <744@charm.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Sep-85 22:18:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: charm.744
Posted: Fri Sep 13 22:18:17 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Sep-85 17:26:37 EDT
Organization: Physics Research @ AT&T Bell Labs Murray Hill NJ
Lines: 32

AHHHRRRGGGHH! {Flames ON!}
	In the last week I had to repace the ribbons on two Dec-Writer III's. Fine,
or so I thought (silly me), I'll open the beasts up, pop the cartridge, find two
new ones, and replace them. Total time, 10 minutes. But, NOOOOO! These kludges
have real ribbons, with take-up spools! Now the printer couldn't be too old,
a few years at the most, but little reels! Ribbon cartridges aren't all that
new, they have been around for quite some time, but why is DEC still using those
silly little reels? It takes a good 10 minutes JUST TO GET THE RIBBON ON RIGHT!
Twisting it this way and that, around an enormous ribbon path, and through and
IMPOSSIBLE PRINTHEAD! There is just no way known to man to make it harder to 
get that ribbon around the printhead. Then, to add insult to very black fingers
the takeup spool just won't hold the ribbon on, even if you stab it with the
stupid little spike inside. Then there are two little bars that reverse the
direction of the ribbon (silly idea if you ask me), and some stupid rivits to
fiddle with (rivits, on a printer ribbon? Surely you jest!).
	And on top of all this, the ribbon has smudged the printouts for several
days (its the console on a VAX), and fiddling with the lever on the printhead
doesn't seem to help all that much. It either smudges, or doesn't print at all!

	To me all of this seems to be the result of a POOR PLANNING on the part
of some Digital person somewhere. Why don't you guys use cartridges like the 
rest of the insane world?!?!?!?! PLEASE! that printhead is a killer when it comes
to snaking the ribbon around it!

			-John Kalucki @ Physics Research @ Bell Labs, Murray Hill, NJ
			...!ihnp4!charm!kalucki				^^^
									 |
						Its really Berkeley Hts., NJ, but
						me? Complain? Never!
{Flames OFF!}
Me and my employer don't usually agree on anything, so why should this posting be
any different?