[Boatanchors] IBM Selectric Terminal

[J. Forster]

A number of early VDTs used ultrasonic delay line memories also. Some WW
II RADAR delay lines were vertical tubes of Mercury.

-John

===========

>
> An interesting fact about the Selectric.  The chrome plating process on
> the
> plastic type head was never patented.  GM, Ford, and Chrysler desperately
> wanted the secret to use on their bumpers and other plastic components but
> IBM would not budge.  The reason that it wasn't patented was that any
> process that is "valuable enough and patented will be stolen".  The auto
> engineers didn't crack the code for years.
>
> It was the best output device in it's time, used by nearly every computer
> vendor but a mechanical Freddy Kruger!
>
> Not the right place for this but do any of you remember the first telecom
> storage device that IBM implemented for the 1401?  The sonic delay line
> that
> could store one 132 character line of data.  Was a spiral of hardened wire
> housed in a 1 foot square by 1 inch container.  It used a transducer to
> twist the wire and another at the other end to sense the twist and
> re-cycle
> the data with a sync character.
>
> Last but not least, did anyone work with the 90 ohm tri-lead disaster or
> virtual triplex 67's project (NASA) in upstate NY??
>
> Kindest regards Jim K9AXN
>
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