Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
On 1/3/20 7:07 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: > > > On 1/3/20 4:13 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: >> >> >> On 1/3/20 1:39 PM, Mike Stein wrote: >> >>> I've got a couple of the drives for those cards somewhere in case someone >>> needs/wants one; rollers to feed the card in and out and a solenoid ratchet >>> to move the head across track-to-track. Wonder if you could build an >>> 80-column card reader out of one... ;-) >>> >> >> Is the on-card format documented anywhere? >> >> > > Turns out there is a bit of info in the office system 6 CE manual I just got > They have 50 tracks and have a dummy character to align the card when loaded > > http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/5520/GC23-0702-3_IBM_5520_Administrative_System_Introduction_Nov81.pdf page 3-17 5321 mag card unit 50 tracks, 100 characters / track
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
On 1/3/20 4:13 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: > > > On 1/3/20 1:39 PM, Mike Stein wrote: > >> I've got a couple of the drives for those cards somewhere in case someone >> needs/wants one; rollers to feed the card in and out and a solenoid ratchet >> to move the head across track-to-track. Wonder if you could build an >> 80-column card reader out of one... ;-) >> > > Is the on-card format documented anywhere? > > Turns out there is a bit of info in the office system 6 CE manual I just got They have 50 tracks and have a dummy character to align the card when loaded
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
On 1/3/20 1:39 PM, Mike Stein wrote: > I've got a couple of the drives for those cards somewhere in case someone > needs/wants one; rollers to feed the card in and out and a solenoid ratchet > to move the head across track-to-track. Wonder if you could build an > 80-column card reader out of one... ;-) > Is the on-card format documented anywhere?
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
- Original Message - From: "Al Kossow via cctalk" To: Sent: Friday, January 03, 2020 1:15 PM Subject: Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?) > > > On 1/3/20 1:46 AM, GerardCJAT via cctalk wrote: >> I think these are pretty rare. > > They were sold by many office supply companies as consumables for the MCST > I bought a box a while ago on eBay, don't see any right now though. > --- I've got a couple of the drives for those cards somewhere in case someone needs/wants one; rollers to feed the card in and out and a solenoid ratchet to move the head across track-to-track. Wonder if you could build an 80-column card reader out of one... ;-) Only have one card though ;-) m
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
I used a Model B Executive for a few years as my office typewriter. Superb text quality; good enough for publication. They were available in several type styles and sizes. Can easily be distinguished by the split space bar. There also was a version of the tape station for the MT/ST that could be used as a S/370 peripheral. Probably not very common. --Chuck Probably the oddest machine I ever saw with a typewriter on it was a machine with a card reader and I think a model A connected to it and it would type out what was punched into the cards. I was told there was a companion machine that would punch cards with what you typed on the typewriter. The flexowriter have a common ancestor to the IBM typebar electrics, IBM sold what became flexowriter because of antitrust concerns. Paul.
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
On 1/3/20 12:50 PM, Paul Berger via cctalk wrote: > The magcard selectric was capable of a lot of basic word processing > functions as could the MT/ST before it. One function it was really > useful for was creating personalized form letters. The body of the > letter could be stored and personalizations filled in as it printed. > The MT/ST and magcard also had a model with a composer version of the > selectric connected. The composer version had an escapement mechanism > that could do proportional spacing, this mechanism was complicated and > from what OP technician told me tricky to adjust, and it didn't help > that customer using composers where very picky about the print quality > as composers where often use to prepare copy for printing. I have also > seen selectric mechanisms that used a lead screw to move the print head > which would be an easier way to implement proportional spacing. Watching > a video of an electronic composer typing suggests it may have used this > mechanism as the carriage motion looks smoother that what you get with > an escapement rack. There was also a version of magcard machine that > had a IBM Executive type bar typewriter attached, the Executive also did > proportional spacing. There was also a selectric called the "Memory > Typewriter" that could store documents on a wide loop of tape the was > inside a slightly enlarged selectic. The last version of the magcard > machines where equipped with a daisy wheel printer in place of a selectric. I used a Model B Executive for a few years as my office typewriter. Superb text quality; good enough for publication. They were available in several type styles and sizes. Can easily be distinguished by the split space bar. There also was a version of the tape station for the MT/ST that could be used as a S/370 peripheral. Probably not very common. --Chuck
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
On 2020-01-03 12:46 p.m., Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: On 1/3/20 1:46 AM, GerardCJAT via cctalk wrote: A guy, in Europ, sells a box of IBM magnetic cards, used on IBM "Compcarte" ( sorry, french "name" ) The English-language name was "Composer". This was preceded by the very similar-looking MT/ST, which used a small magnetic tape cartridge in an external unit that looked very much like the card reader on the Composer. --Chuck The composer was a special version of selectric that did proportional spacing, often used for producing copy for printing. The original composer was all mechanical including the variable spacing later ones where electronic. Paul.
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
The magcard selectric was capable of a lot of basic word processing functions as could the MT/ST before it. One function it was really useful for was creating personalized form letters. The body of the letter could be stored and personalizations filled in as it printed. The MT/ST and magcard also had a model with a composer version of the selectric connected. The composer version had an escapement mechanism that could do proportional spacing, this mechanism was complicated and from what OP technician told me tricky to adjust, and it didn't help that customer using composers where very picky about the print quality as composers where often use to prepare copy for printing. I have also seen selectric mechanisms that used a lead screw to move the print head which would be an easier way to implement proportional spacing. Watching a video of an electronic composer typing suggests it may have used this mechanism as the carriage motion looks smoother that what you get with an escapement rack. There was also a version of magcard machine that had a IBM Executive type bar typewriter attached, the Executive also did proportional spacing. There was also a selectric called the "Memory Typewriter" that could store documents on a wide loop of tape the was inside a slightly enlarged selectic. The last version of the magcard machines where equipped with a daisy wheel printer in place of a selectric. Paul. On 2020-01-03 7:51 a.m., Guy Dunphy via cctalk wrote: Huh, that's a coincidence. Going through a recent bequeathment to the Australian Computer Museum Society, I'd just yesterday opened a box with manuals, some cards, and other bits for the same system. See pic, with manual cover illustration of the system. It was IBM trying to produce a word processor and email, before the technology was really up to it. You typed onto paper, with backspacing and overtyping to get it right, then saved to the mag card. That could be read back and printed out, to get a clean copy. Then you could snail mail the mag card to someone with another machine. Or just post the printed letter I suppose, but how old fashioned! A lease document with the set shows that in 1981 the price was $5000 (AU). Or leased over 48 months, total rent of $6682. My job now is to find out what happened to the actual machine, since the contents list says it's present, but it isn't. Fun fact: according to the listing the modified selectric typewriter (heavy) and the magcard 82 processor (cabinet in the photo, supposedly about 50 Kg) are linked by a "non-plugged cable". Brilliant. Guy At 10:46 AM 3/01/2020 +0100, you wrote: A guy, in Europ, sells a box of IBM magnetic cards, used on IBM "Compcarte" ( sorry, french "name" ) They seems in medium state, at least, but I think these are pretty rare. So, if somebody is interested . https://www.ebay.fr/itm/gro%C3%9Frechner-wechseldatentr%C3%A4ger-magnetkarten/184107517064?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
On 1/3/20 1:46 AM, GerardCJAT via cctalk wrote: > I think these are pretty rare. They were sold by many office supply companies as consumables for the MCST I bought a box a while ago on eBay, don't see any right now though.
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
On 1/3/20 1:46 AM, GerardCJAT via cctalk wrote: > A guy, in Europ, sells a box of IBM magnetic cards, used on IBM > "Compcarte" ( sorry, french "name" ) > The English-language name was "Composer". This was preceded by the very similar-looking MT/ST, which used a small magnetic tape cartridge in an external unit that looked very much like the card reader on the Composer. --Chuck
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
Bah, attached photos don't work. OK, the pic is here: http://everist.org/pics/misc/20200103_5346_IBM_mag_cards.jpg Guy At 10:51 PM 3/01/2020 +1100, you wrote: >Huh, that's a coincidence. Going through a recent bequeathment to the >Australian Computer Museum Society, >I'd just yesterday opened a box with manuals, some cards, and other bits for >the same system. >See pic, with manual cover illustration of the system. > >It was IBM trying to produce a word processor and email, before the technology >was really up to it. >You typed onto paper, with backspacing and overtyping to get it right, then >saved to the mag card. >That could be read back and printed out, to get a clean copy. Then you could >snail mail the mag card >to someone with another machine. Or just post the printed letter I suppose, >but how old fashioned! >A lease document with the set shows that in 1981 the price was $5000 (AU). Or >leased over 48 months, >total rent of $6682. > >My job now is to find out what happened to the actual machine, since the >contents list says it's >present, but it isn't. > >Fun fact: according to the listing the modified selectric typewriter (heavy) >and the magcard 82 processor >(cabinet in the photo, supposedly about 50 Kg) are linked by a "non-plugged >cable". Brilliant. > >Guy > > > >At 10:46 AM 3/01/2020 +0100, you wrote: >>A guy, in Europ, sells a box of IBM magnetic cards, used on IBM >>"Compcarte" ( sorry, french "name" ) >> >>They seems in medium state, at least, but I think these are pretty >>rare. So, if somebody is interested . >> >>https://www.ebay.fr/itm/gro%C3%9Frechner-wechseldatentr%C3%A4ger-magnetkarten/184107517064?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 >> >
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
Huh, that's a coincidence. Going through a recent bequeathment to the Australian Computer Museum Society, I'd just yesterday opened a box with manuals, some cards, and other bits for the same system. See pic, with manual cover illustration of the system. It was IBM trying to produce a word processor and email, before the technology was really up to it. You typed onto paper, with backspacing and overtyping to get it right, then saved to the mag card. That could be read back and printed out, to get a clean copy. Then you could snail mail the mag card to someone with another machine. Or just post the printed letter I suppose, but how old fashioned! A lease document with the set shows that in 1981 the price was $5000 (AU). Or leased over 48 months, total rent of $6682. My job now is to find out what happened to the actual machine, since the contents list says it's present, but it isn't. Fun fact: according to the listing the modified selectric typewriter (heavy) and the magcard 82 processor (cabinet in the photo, supposedly about 50 Kg) are linked by a "non-plugged cable". Brilliant. Guy At 10:46 AM 3/01/2020 +0100, you wrote: >A guy, in Europ, sells a box of IBM magnetic cards, used on IBM >"Compcarte" ( sorry, french "name" ) > >They seems in medium state, at least, but I think these are pretty >rare. So, if somebody is interested . > >https://www.ebay.fr/itm/gro%C3%9Frechner-wechseldatentr%C3%A4ger-magnetkarten/184107517064?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 >
Re: FS : IBM Magnetic cards for IBM selectric "compocarte" (?)
GerardCJAT via cctech wrote: > A guy, in Europ, sells a box of IBM magnetic cards, used on IBM > "Compcarte" ( sorry, french "name" ) > > They seems in medium state, at least, but I think these are pretty > rare. So, if somebody is interested . > > https://www.ebay.fr/itm/gro%C3%9Frechner-wechseldatentr%C3%A4ger-magnetkarten/184107517064?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 > > > The guy is in Germany and sells a few other IBM related items. He is also auctioning an DEC RK07 : https://www.ebay.de/itm/grosrechner-laufwerk/184010127536?hash=item2ad7dbb8b0:g:4DkAAOSwmK1dtI~8 Ed -- Ik email, dus ik besta
