I believe the PDP-1 used a Flexowriter. I suspect DEC would have used an IBM product over Ken Olsen's dead body. :-) On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 12:27 AM, Pontus Pihlgren <pontus at update.uu.se> wrote: -- Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS Ph.D. Candidate The Information School University of Washington There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."

On Feb 27, 2015 12:57 PM, "Ian S. King" <isking at uw.edu> wrote: The PDP-1 console typewriter is an IBM (model B IIRC) modified by Soroban Engineering for use as an I/O device. It was horribly unreliable, so DEC didn't use the same for the PDP-4 and later. CHM has copies of some angry correspondence between DEC and Soroban. Some PDP-1 sites used Flexowriters for offline operations, and it was possible to add them as additional I/O, but they weren't compatible with the PDP-1 console interface. I think some other PDP-1 I/O options were rebadged IBM equipment with DEC-built interfaces, but I don't have details of the specific models. DEC didn't have the resources to build all the equipment, and just engineering and building all of the interfaces to the OEM devices nearly bankrupted them. They optimistically put a wide variety of not-yet-designed I/O equipment on the price list, and the salesmen sold *all* of them to Lawrence-Livermore. Apparently some of those DEC options only ever sold one or two units for the entire line of 18-bit machines.

On 3/1/2015 7:43 PM, Ian S. King wrote: What's even more aggravating to read than something not bottom posted? Something not bottom posted to a chain that already begun in the bottom posted format. - J.

On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 7:34 PM, Bob Rosenbloom <bobalan at sbcglobal.net> wrote: It sure is, I have one here. It appears to have several wiring looms though, the one here only has a single data cable which I guess makes it output only (it was used as console on an Elliott 503). They're surprisingly heavy, bend your knees when you pick up.

Jim, This is actually an IBM Model B typewriter. It is the older predecesor to the Selectric. And, it is a more reliable and easier to interface device for the enthusiast to work with. The key is finding an encoder/decoder on the underneath of the keys. As far as I know, only Soroban made these devices. Judging from the wires, I would guess that this typer has the Soroban (or equivalent unit). I already have one, badly in need of rubber replacements. That is the problem with older typewriters - the rubber breaks down into dry powder. The model B has a power roller of rubber. It has an individual trip cam for each physical key, so loss of rubber means nothing works. I'd guess that this one is from the mid-1960's or older! (I spent many a long hour trying to keep these machines running, in the late 60's. Can't say they are fond memories. I do still have all the manuals, and Al has copied most of them.) It would be nice to have for the spares, but I don't think it is worth the trip to purchase. If you do go up, it would be worth $100-150 to me. But don't make the trip just for the typer. Thanks for letting me know about it. Billy ----- Original Message ----- From: "jwsmobile" <jws at jwsss.com> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>; "Billy Pettit" <bpettitx at comcast.net> Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 1:30 AM Subject: Re: DEC handbooks at LA estate sale