4 Feb
2003
4 Feb
'03
3:54 a.m.
The more clever (IMHO) mod was to attach seven
solenoids to the
Selectric between the keyboard encoding mechanism and the print
mechanism, to directly control the tilt and rotate. And two more
for the carriage return and paper advance. This has the advantage
that you can still use it as a typewriter without having to attach
and remove the solenoid box, and it's potentially less expensive
since it takes nowhere near as many solenoids. I seem to recall
that Don Lancaster wrote a do-it-yourself article about this
approach.
Lancaster's "TV Typewriter" book includes a description.
Either way, though, you don't end up with a
particularly great printer.
The Selectric typewriters weren't meant to be pounded on continuously
at anywhere near their full speed, since that wasn't how typewriters
were used (even by *very* good typists).
IBM made "I/O Selectrics," which had heavy-duty mechanisms intended
for continuous output. Model numbers that come to mind are the
1052 and 753, though my memory regarding these seems more than a
little fuzzy.
This is disappointing. I'd been on the lookout for a Selectric for the
purpose of performing this hack (Powerbook G4 USB->Parallel->Selectric),
but chances of finding one of these models looks pretty slim.
Maybe I'll dig out my Xerox MemoryWriter and try to interface that...
Tom
Applefritter
www.applefritter.com