4 Jun
2000
4 Jun
'00
2:13 a.m.
While I'm on the subject, I see that the Terminals
and Printers Handbook
1983-84 entry for the LQP02 says that it prints "32 char/s
(letter-quality, Shannon text)". Does "Shannon text" mean anything to
anyone?
Maybe this just shows that I'm too much of a crypto geek, but anyway:
"Shannon text" means that the letters are distributed in a way typical
for English-language plain text. i.e. the typical ETAOIN... distribution.
Depending on the context, it may also imply a "typical" distribution of
word lengths too.
This actually matters for chain printers (where you can choose a subset
of letters that go on the print chain and get better performance), but it's
not such a big deal for dot-matrix or laser printers which tend to print
at the same speed (until something overheats, at least) no matter what.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927