Alan Turing used the Teletypes on the Manchester MK1 to write letters. I doubt he had any software, just typed, perhaps using paper tape to edit.
Dave > -----Original Message----- > From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Chuck > Guzis via cctalk > Sent: 11 September 2017 03:55 > To: Tapley, Mark via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: RIP Jerry Pournelle, the first author to write a novel on a > computer Early adopt > > On 09/10/2017 06:25 PM, Tapley, Mark via cctalk wrote: > > > There was one of those machines in my Junior High School shop > > classroom. I saw it run once (not well enough to successfully set a > > line of type, but nearly). > > > > I endorse Mark's assessment of its safety characteristics... > > I knew a fellow who had one of them in his barn--and he set the local > freebie weekly newspaper with it. Open gas flame, hot type metal > that's mostly lead, lots of open whirling parts--what's not to like? > > Running one is definitely a real skill. ETAOIN SHRDLU CMFWYP... > > Neil Lincoln once told me that the name of ETA Systems back in the 80s was > suggested by his son. Neil knew about the Linotype order, but it was unclear > to me if his son got it from a literary work (there were > several) or from the actual machine. Chris Elmquist might know. > > FWIW, the "assembler" in a Linotype machine is where the type matrices > drop down in a row, ready for "kerning". Another non-computer use of the > word. > > --Chuck > >
