Sunday, September 29, 2013

Old Tech



Amazing, simply amazing... a programmable writing machine from the mid-1700s.  Thanks go to good friend, occasional reader, and constant correspondent Lin.

8 comments:

  1. That is very cool.
    I thought it was going to be one of the copiers of the age such as the one at Monticello. It let one copy any personal writing so you could keep a copy of all outgoing correspondence for the files.

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    1. I'm amazed at the complexity of the device... and the fact ONE guy designed and built the thing.

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  2. I remember watching a history of elevators from Otis Elevator Company, way back when I worked for them. They showed this little guy and talked about how some of the features and technology used in creating him were "borrowed" for making automatic control of the elevators. Mostly for leveling the elevators in the early days, and then to automating the door operations.

    Just cool seeing that again, and dragging up some memories of my days in NYC and working the elevator construction trade.

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    1. I'm thinking that quite a few corporations borrowed technology from this guy.

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  3. It makes me want to see the movie "Hugo" again. I did not realize that such Automatons actually existed. I though it was just in the movies.

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    1. This was the first time I'd seen anything like this as well, Lou.

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  4. I hate people with good penmanship
    I think they've OCD

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    1. Or they went to a good grammar school. One or the other. ;-)

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