SWTPC PR-40 Printer

Steve Jobs wrote an article about interfacing an Apple 1 to the SWTPC PR-40 printer in the October 1976 issue of Interface Age. Joe read the article, purchased and built the printer kit, and interfaced it to his Apple 1.

Below is a sample of the SWTPC PR-40's output quality. The print is somewhat light, but all in all, not that bad.

At the time of the article, the Southwest Technical Products printer cost $250.00 in kit form. Line length was 40 characters, identical to the video format of the Apple 1. Only what was being outputed to the video screen could be printed, as the printer got its data from the video source. A switch was connected and whenever you wanted to print you put the switch in the "on" position and everything that went to the screen went to the printer, as well. It did slow things down a bit.

This is an original SWTPC PR-40 printer ribbon. When new these cost $4.00 apiece.