14 Mar
2011
14 Mar
'11
9:46 a.m.
On Sat, 12 Mar 2011, Huw Davies wrote:
OK, I have a little information about MONECS (Monash
University
Educational Computing System). This was a joint project between Monash
University and Digital Equipment Australia. It consisted of a card
reader - using mark sense or the push out the chad with a paper clip
cards (do these cards have a real name?),
"Port-A-Punch Cards" was ONE 1958 IBM name for them.
But, "Port-A-Punch" was also used to refer to the little jig for holding
the cards while pokiing out the holes with a stylus. CBS even had some
success with reading Port-A-Punch cards after they had a stamp glommed
onto them and wenth through NYC post offices!
They were deliberately identical dimensions to "normal" IBM punched cards,
other than using 40 columns (every other one) to maintain a little more
physical strength.
I remember a trivial homework assignment of writing a program to read the
"double-spaced" Port-A-Punch cards, and output "normal" cards using
the
first 40 columns. 'course it would be just as easy to wire up a
plug-board for the card duplicaotr.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com