computer science

Xerox Dover

Xerox Dover is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Xerox Dover rather than just read about it. In short: The Xerox Dover laser printer was an early laser printer manufactured at Xerox PARC in the late 1970s. Around 35 were built.

Key takeaways

Xerox Dover belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Xerox Dover to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Xerox Dover from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Xerox Dover laser printer was an early laser printer manufactured at Xerox PARC in the late 1970s. Around 35 were built. It was a successor to the EARS printer, itself a successor to the Xerox Graphics Printer. The Dover was developed by Gary Starkweather. The printer was based on a stripped down Xerox 7000 reduction duplicator chassis.

Description The Dover has a maximum resolution of 384 pels horizontally and vertically. It uses cut-sheet 81⁄2 x 11 in. paper, and paper speed is 1.2 inches per second. The Dover has a Length of 65 in., and a Width of 32 in. Its weight is 1250 lb.

Users Dover printers were in use at several high-profile computer science research labs. A Dover printer was installed at Stanford University's computer science department in 1980, and a Dover printer was available at the MIT AI Lab in 1982, hosted by a Xerox Alto computer.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Xerox Dover

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Xerox Dover claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Xerox Dover before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Xerox Dover ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Xerox Dover

In research: Xerox Dover appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Xerox Dover in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Xerox Dover is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1970s in computing, Computer hardware stubs, Laser printers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Xerox Dover outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Xerox Dover in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Xerox Dover means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Xerox Dover out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Xerox Dover in simple terms?

The Xerox Dover laser printer was an early laser printer manufactured at Xerox PARC in the late 1970s. Around 35 were built.

Why does Xerox Dover matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Xerox Dover?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Xerox Dover.