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Jon Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #171: Unusual Tech
Weekend Assignment #171: Talk about the most unusual piece of technology or machinery that you've ever used. It could be some specialized machine or tech you use for work, or perhaps some off-brand curiosity you found at an electronics store, or even (if you're technologically inclined) something you've created yourself. The key is that it's got to be something that makes people go "Huh. That's weird."
Okay, I'm dating myself here. I began work in the mid '70's, which was right before the electronic revolution hit mainstream America. Then computers took up huge rooms that had to be kept cool in order for them to work right. They used these huge reels of magnetic tape. Although I never experienced this I heard horror stories about how these reels came undone and people would spend hours trying to rewind them.
My first job in a Downtown office was as a teletype operator. Even then, they were going out of use. These were huge machines that printed a hard copy and punched a tape at the same time. The tapes would be threaded into another machine and then transmit the message just typed to one of our other offices, or to one of our 3 factories. The edition I worked on was tied into our company only. I couldn't just contact anyone using this machine.
After that I went to work for a temporary agency. Because I'm fast on my feet, I was sent out on jobs where the agency didn't have employees who knew the machines. I learned how to use an old time PBX plug board. For those of you who have no idea what that is, it is an old time switchboard. I also learned how to use an addressograph. This was another huge machine with a keyboard. I made metal address plates with it. I also used a Quip. That was an early edition of what became a FAX machine. You had to put whatever it was you were sending onto a cylinder that spun around. The machine looked like an old time cylinder type of phonograph. It took six minutes to send an entire page. These were plugged into the phone in some way so the person on either end didn't need a separate phone number. I also used a dictaphone, although mine used standard recording tapes and not the old time belts.
Oh, and my Mom was a comptometer operator. This was the forerunner of adding machines and calculators. It had 9 columns of numbers. Those numbers ran from 1 thru nine. You put in the number you wanted to add or subtract from, and hit a long key. In order to multiply, you had to put in the number and hit the key over and over again until you got to your number. In other words if you wanted to multiply 87 x 6, you fed in 87 and hit the add button 6 times. Mom was a stay at home mother in those years. Every so often she had to work for a short while. She'd rent a comptometer so she could pick up her speed. I used to play with it when she wasn't looking. It never failed that I would jam it up, and she'd have to call a repair man in to unjam it. She said it jammed very easily.
Did I mention I ran a lottery machine for years?
Extra Credit: Mp3/music player or cell phone: Which would you give up first?
I still use the radio, although my kids have MP3 players, and Ipods. As far as phones are concerned, I have not been able to spend much time on the phone since working on switchboards as a kid.
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cool list of machines. I remember those computers from the 70's, and helping to rewind an unspooled tape. You had to be SO careful not to bend or wrinkle it.
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It's a shame the pictures aren't clearer. They look interesting.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/acoward15/andy-the-bastard -
Great entry, I remember the comptometer very well. Even recalled the operator's name Millie. Haven't thought of her in over forty years.Her fingers flew over that keyboard.
You (we) certainly have seen many technology changes, havent we?
Bill
6/25/07 3:29 PM
Do you remember those "purple passion" duplicator machine?
You had to turn an awful smelling bottle of stuff upside down and tehn turn a crank to turn out those purlple printed papers.
Love
Marti