Saw one...what is that? TI printing terminal Silent 700.

From: Computer Room Internet Cafe <netcafe_at_pirie.mtx.net.au>
Date: Tue Dec 15 08:42:35 1998

-----Original Message-----
From: Barry A. Watzman <Watzman_at_ibm.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, 15 December 1998 12:34
Subject: RE: Saw one...what is that? TI printing terminal Silent 700.



The silent 700's were mostly used for time-sharing remote computing in the
70's. Some models (there were quite a few of them) had built-in modems
(acoustic 300 baud for the most part). They were also used as local
consoles (keyboard/printer). I believe that the printers were 30 chars/sec,
but they may have been somewhat faster, perhaps as much as 120 cps. For
their day, they were considered high-end and very desirable.


IIRC, we had those in the VOLMET broadcast booth in the then Sydney Flight
Service Centre, (Circa 1982).
They were running off a Ferranti Message Switching System (dedicated
24(?)bit mini/mainframe)
at 300 baud, which made them a good deal quicker than the Siemens
electromechanical teleprinters that were used elsewhere in the FSC. They
were used in the booth because they were QUIET and didn't drown out the
announcer when the VOLMET broadcast was on. The old Siemens machines were
designed for 50 or 75, but I think they ran them at 100, which was just
about the physical limit, and NOISY, even in a sound deadening cabinet.

Footnote: I also collect teleprinter machines if anyone in Oz has any they
want to part with.......

Cheers

Geoff
Computer Room Internet Cafe
Port Pirie
South Australia.
netcafe_at_pirie.mtx.net.au
Received on Tue Dec 15 1998 - 08:42:35 GMT