Abstract: A display for a personal computer includes a printer having a transport path which extends in a direction parallel to a surface in which a slot forming the path is located. A keyboard and a central processing unit for a personal computer are also each equipped with printers having similar parallel transport paths.

Abstract: A personal computer includes a built-in printer having a transport path which extends parallel to a surface of the computer housing. The transport path may extend along the entire length of the housing surface, or only partially so. Situated within the housing is a printhead which may be either fixed or movable relative to a print medium inserted into the transport path. If movable, the printhead may have one or two degrees of freedom. An arrangement of sensors, rollers, and other mechanisms may be situated into the housing to automatically move a print medium through the transport path. The personal computer may be incorporated within a system for printing a mark indicative of a stamp or private-carrier rate on an envelope inserted into the transport path. In this system, the scale may be weighed using a removable scale cartridge inserted into a communications port of the computer.

Abstract: An electronic scale cartridge plugs into a piece of office equipment and/or a portable electronic device to provide a weight signal to be used in computing a postal or private carrier rate. The piece of office equipment may be a personal computer or one of its peripheral or input devices. The portable electronic device may be a personal digital assistant or a wireless communications device. Preferably, the scale cartridge has a connector which fits a universal or standard port, thereby allowing the cartridge to be connected to any number of devices without modification. Postage is computed in accordance with a program stored in the computer or portable device. Preferably, the program is written to step a user through a postage-computing process using one or more interactive display screens. A second type of electronic scale is adapted for attachment to a piece of equipment using any one of a variety of fasteners which may establish a removable and/or rotatable connection to the equipment.

Abstract: A personal computer includes a built-in printer having a transport path which extends parallel to a surface of the computer housing. The transport path may extend along the entire length of the housing surface, or only partially so. Situated within the housing is a printhead which may be either fixed or movable relative to a print medium inserted into the transport path. If movable, the printhead may have one or two degrees of freedom. An arrangement of sensors, rollers, and other mechanisms may be situated into the housing to automatically move a print medium through the transport path. The personal computer may be incorporated within a system for printing a mark indicative of a stamp or private-carrier rate on an envelope inserted into the transport path. In this system, the scale may be weighed using a removable scale cartridge inserted into a communications port of the computer.