The original Twinriter 5 is a beige impact printer measuring 7.9 by 23.2 by 15.0 inches (20 by 59 by 38 cm) and weighing 35 pounds (16 kg).

[1] The printer features a unique dual hybrid printing system, combining a daisy wheel and a 9-pin dot matrix printhead—an industry first.

[2] As stock, the Twinriters are designed with a friction-feed platen accepting plain loose-leaf paper up to 16.5 inches[3] in width, one at a time.

[14] Alex Schibanoff, an executive of Brother's Information Systems division, explained in 1986 that a combination of high costs and "the misperception of Twinriter as a sort of strange animal" conspired to keep sales of the printer sluggish.

PC Magazine's Richard Ridington, in a review of the Twinriter 5, concluded that the printer offered "excellent versatility and good speed at a reasonable price".

[1] Creative Computing's Owen Linzmayer wrote that the Twinriter 5's "versatility suits it ideally to office automation, yet its modest price makes it attractive for home businesses as well".

[18] Segal deemed the Twinriter 5 preferrable to laser printers for low-volume applications, despite some downsides, on account of its ease of use and versatility.

[4] Richard Sherwin of the New York Daily News wrote that, "for consumers who require both true letterquality printing and highspeed graphics abilities—but who may be short on home or office space—this machine does everything it advertises".