IBM 557 Alphabetic Interpreter??

From: Lawrence Walker <lwalker_at_mail.interlog.com>
Date: Wed Mar 31 03:28:21 1999

On 30 Mar 99 at 13:47, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:

> On Tue, 30 Mar 1999, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:
> > #026 and #029 keypunches, nor the punch outputs of most computers, did
> > NOT print anything on the card.
>
> OOPS!
> WRONG!
> #026 and #029 keypunches could, and by default did, print what they
> punched. The punch output of most computers, nor most of the stand-alone
> card duplicators, did not. The unique *RARE* SPECIAL model in the #029
> series was the one that could "interpret" (print) the contents of cards
> that it was READING, not punching. It was especially useful, because it
> had an 80 column printhead, whereas the stand-alone interptreter was a 60
> column unit.
>
> Sorry about the wrong info. It's been less than 30 years - must be
> coming down with some of that alzh^h^h^h^h "old-timer's disease"
>
>
> I have 2 keypunch drums that I don't seem to use much any more. Does
> anybody need one? (I'm keeping one, just in case.)
>
 In my case it's been more than 40 years, but ISTR a duplicater in which
you'd insert the "bent, spindalled, mutilated card " and a blank card and it
would copy(punch) the defective card. You'd only have to go to the adjoining
keypunch room to get it made if the card was totally beyond repair and wouldn't
feed in the amazingly forgiving duplicater. Mind you since the punch card room
had some 20 operaters(x-typists) all female including my current girlfriend of
the time, we found many cards unable to be duplicated.
 I don't remember any of these machines also able to print info on the cards,
which would stand to reason since all of them had data which wouldn't fit in
the top space. For that we used the interpreter wired to print the identifying
data.

ciao larry
lwalker_at_interlog.com
Received on Wed Mar 31 1999 - 03:28:21 BST