[GreenKeys] Printing Selectric

[Robert Nickels]

On 10/31/2018 3:46 PM, Larry Goga wrote:
> aftermarket add-on that would convert a “proportional” Selectric 
> typewriter into a printer.

One name to keep in mind in your search is "Anderson Jacobsen" which 
introduced a ready to go Selectric terminal called the AJ 841 in the 
early 70s: 
https://terminals-wiki.org/wiki/index.php/Anderson_Jacobson_AJ_841

I bought one for a buddy who was a county attorney along with an Osborne 
1 that came with WordStar and at that time he paid right around $3K for 
the whole setup.  Every lawyer in town made a pilgrimage to see what it 
could do and left agonizing over the number of months left on their 
non-cancellable IBM, Wang, or CPT word processor leases.     This was 
the era of dot-matrix printers and of course the quality of output from 
the Selectric was undetectable from the best word processors and a CP/M 
computer could do so much more.

I wasn't as fortunate, I bought a used Selectric terminal that was made 
by some other company, gutted out all their electronics, and ended up 
making a very simple parallel interface with some latches and high 
current drivers to actuate the solenoids.   The whole interface  cost me 
less than the amount of Bondo I used to fill up the ugly holes in the 
cabinet but after a coat of IBM blue paint, I thought I was right uptown!

73, Bob W9RAN