IBM magcard typewriter cards

From: McFadden, Mike <mmcfadden_at_cmh.edu>
Date: Tue Sep 14 14:01:36 1999

IBM magcard typewriter
IBM MagCard II typewriter introduced by IBM in 1973.
The cards that look like a magnetic version of an 026/029 punch card were
from a IBM Selectric typewriter with a adjacent floor stand unit that could
read/write the cards and print out what was stored on them. I think they
were called IBM magcards. I saw them in use in 1974-1976. The floor unit
was about 1 foot wide and 4 feet tall with a slot in the front of the unit.
 
At one of my first jobs all of the standard canned pathology reports were
stored on magcards. The pathologist would dictate reports by indicating a
series of standard report text to use with any additional comments manually
added at the end. The typist would feed in the correct cards as indicated.
Great productivity and spelling accuracy tool.
Later I saw one in the EE department at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Some of the typists could type faster that the machine under magcard
control. Occasionally the engineering secretary could be seen sitting in
front of the typewriter as it ran without any of her fingers touching the
keys. It was great for stored forms and for editing and retyping grant
applications. They had little sleeves for them where they indicated the
topic or subject stored on the card.

mike mcfadden
Computer=computing device that can run for a year without crashing.
Received on Tue Sep 14 1999 - 14:01:36 BST