character codes, was RE: Really stupid PDP assembler question

26 Jun 2004

...
  (Why five? how
many fingers you got?)

  Don't know if that was the real reason, more important probably was the 
 fact the 5 bits could
 code up to 32  symbols, sufficient for the alphabet. 
I believe the original Baudot telegraph (probably the first device to use 
a 5 bit character code) used a 5 key chording keyboard, but I seem to 
recall you used both hands on it (3 fingers of 1 hand, 2 of the other). 

The fact that 5 bits allows the complete alphabet is probably the real 
reason...

-tony

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character codes, was RE: Really stupid PDP assembler question