[Tfug] [Bulk] Re: Fwd: Re: [Bulk] Re: Thumb drive sizes vere6u7u

[Bexley Hall]

Hi Zack,

On 12/5/2012 6:53 PM, Zack Williams wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 5, 2012 at 11:48 AM, Bexley Hall<bexley401 at yahoo.com>  wrote:
>> Started with an ASR-33<http://www.bytecollector.com/asr_33.htm>
>> [I actually still have one of these hiding in the garage] and a
>> Bell 110/103 modem (110-300 bits per second!).  First with acoustical
>> coupler<http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/couplers.html>
>> but, eventually, a "real" Bell "DataPhone" (no need to physically move
>> the handset into the coupler!)
>
> Hmm... A long time ago someone gave me one of these:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_700

The Silent 700 is "modern", by comparison.  :>  IIRC, used thermal
paper?

The ASR-33 (and simpler sibling, KSR-33) is entirely mechanical.
Like a crude version of an IBM selectric typewriter.  Part of
it's nostalgic appeal is the incredible racket it makes while
printing.

[I have a Selectric I/O in storage, as well.  Really cool
when you want to send "machine generated, personalized
correspondence" to people... and they can *feel* the impressions
that the printhead made in the paper:  "Wow!  He *typed* this
letter!!"  <grin>]

> If you want to try to get these talking, I'd love to try.

I'd have to build a current loop interface (you can't just
connect an ASR-33 to a traditional modem because modems use
voltage mode interfaces instead of *current* mode).

You should be able to get the 700 working with just a
serial port on your computer (1200baud).  But, since it is
*silent*, about all you'll get is marks on a piece of
paper crawling out of the terminal  :-/

[Have you tried talking to it with tip(1)?]

--don