30 Nov
2007
30 Nov
'07
2:46 a.m.
------------Original Message:
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:51:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com>
Subject: Re: IBM mechnical devices
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Message-ID: <20071129184544.W60333 at shell.lmi.net>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Thu, 29 Nov 2007, M H Stein wrote:
LOL!
There were several different models - see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_IBM_products
They were used mainly for utility bills, etc. which were often printed on
punched cards to be returned with your payment for processing. We
didn't do that sort of work very often, and when the cards had to be easily
human-readable (such as your COBOL cards) they'd be punched on a
printing keypunch (026) in the first place.
Unfortunately, the card output punches of most of the computers, and the
stand-alone duplicator didn't print when it punched.
<snip>
------------Reply:
Afraid I don't get your point; after all, that was the purpose of interpreters like
the 557, to print the data that the computer or EAM had punched (and not
printed). The 500 series output & reproducing punches couldn't punch *and*
print because AFAIR the print mechanism essentially replaced the punch
mechanism (except for the 519 which had a small numeric printer added,
mainly for serial-numbering the cards).
The keypunch equivalents could, but were much too slow for serious output
operations. Not only were they slower to begin with, but they punched 80
columns lengthwise while pretty well all the electro-mechanical EAMs worked
on the principle of a 12-phase synchronized cycle across the card, corresponding
to the 12 zones of the cards.
Your COBOL source cards on the other hand would have been punched
on a keypunch and could have been printed as they were punched, no?
mike