Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/04/11

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Touch typing keyboards
From: datamaster at northcoastphotos.com (Gary Todoroff)
Date: Tue Apr 11 17:47:24 2006

Rei - YES - Somebody remembers! The IBM 3270, mostly made in the 1960's was
the absolute pinnacle of keyboard technology. I remember room-fulls of
data-entry clerks pounding the keyboards of those machines. Each unit was
the size of an office desk and several together made quite a symphony as the
solenoid feature sounded back with a crisp but soft 'boink' with each
keystroke.

Some data-entry gals (they were always women) attacked the keys like a Van
Cliburn in full concert mode. With others, they just barely moved only their
fingers. And every lady was amazing at multi-tasking - chewing gum, talking
to one another or on the phone, commenting on the boss or latest office
gossip. It was as if there was an eye-brain connection for data entry that
was wired and insulated against all other distractions.

Wow - you worked at Watson Labs - the Mecca of IBM! I was a lowly
"third-party" programmer. Those were the IBM heydays when their slogan was
simply "THINK". About the time IBM dropped the slogan, keyboards became junk
and everybody got carpel tunnel syndrome.

Gary

>
> i seem to recall the old 3270 i used to use at ibm watson labs
> had a switch which would activate a solenoid on each key depression,
> purely as an ergonomic device.
>
> this action was undertaken with such vigor, the keyboard would have
> jumped an inch, had it not been the approximate dimensions and mass of a
> small headstone.
>
> -rei
>
>
> On Apr11 11:13, David C Mason wrote:
> > "Gary Todoroff" <datamaster@northcoastphotos.com> writes:
> >
> >
> > > As I type, making a beautiful racket on my 1984 IBM keyboard, [snip]
> >
> > Oh man! I am jealous of your keyboard noise! My last IBM keyboard
> > disappeared at my last job.
> >
> > Now if only my M7 would give a big CLACK! whenever it fired.
>
> --
> Rei Shinozuka shino@panix.com
> Ridgewood, New Jersey
>
>
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Replies: Reply from dcm at pobox.com (David C Mason) ([Leica] Re: Touch typing keyboards)
In reply to: Message from shino at panix.com (Rei Shinozuka) ([Leica] Re: Touch typing keyboards)