3 ms·

We need the VT52 experience: relay clicks as you type.

DonHopkins 8y ago
My favorite VT52 experience was at a science fiction convention with Doug Humphrey (DIGEX). In the middle of a party in a hotel room, DIGEX announced: "OK, it's time to go down to the garage and bringing up all the VT52's from my car!" Trusting Doug unconditionally, several of us volunteered to help. After we hauled a bunch of VT52's from the parking garage, through the hotel lobby, up the elevator, and back to the room, and set them down, Doug opened up one of the cases and announced: "The great thing about VT52's is that if you take the printer module out, there's just enough room for a 6 pack of Guinness Stout bottles inside!" https://vt100.net/docs/vt52-mm/chapter7.html https://vt100.net/docs/vt52-mm/chapter7.html https://vt100.net/docs/vt52-mm/figure7-2.html https://vt100.net/docs/vt52-mm/figure7-2.html
ch_123 8y ago
Some of IBM's mainframe terminals used a solenoid which would hit the side of the keyboard's case to indicate that a key-press was successfuly registered. This was in addition to the well documented clicking noise of IBM's keyboard switches.
- dfox 8y ago
  IIRC original 3270 keyboard had solenoid that physically prevented user from pressing any key when the terminal was busy and would not be able to register the key press.
  - ch_123 8y ago
    The solenoid on the one which I have (a 3278 keyboard) is separate to the keys. It is true that the solenoid will not operate when the terminal is unable to accept any key press, but it does not impede the operation of the keys themselves. To the best of my knowledge, the only IBM keyboards that could flat out prevent the keys from being pressed were ones based on the Selectric typewriter mechanism, such as the 2741
    - kps 8y ago
      In order to prevent two keys being active simultaneously, the Selectric had a linear track full of steel balls running from side to side, with just enough free space to allow a metal tab from a single key to enter. So locking the keyboard was just a matter of having a solenoid occupy the free space.

My favorite VT52 experience was at a science fiction convention with Doug Humphrey (DIGEX). In the middle of a party in a hotel room, DIGEX announced: "OK, it's time to go down to the garage and bringing up all the VT52's from my car!" Trusting Doug unconditionally, several of us volunteered to help. After we hauled a bunch of VT52's from the parking garage, through the hotel lobby, up the elevator, and back to the room, and set them down, Doug opened up one of the cases and announced: "The great thing about VT52's is that if you take the printer module out, there's just enough room for a 6 pack of Guinness Stout bottles inside!" https://vt100.net/docs/vt52-mm/chapter7.html https://vt100.net/docs/vt52-mm/chapter7.html https://vt100.net/docs/vt52-mm/figure7-2.html https://vt100.net/docs/vt52-mm/figure7-2.html

ch_123 8y ago

Some of IBM's mainframe terminals used a solenoid which would hit the side of the keyboard's case to indicate that a key-press was successfuly registered. This was in addition to the well documented clicking noise of IBM's keyboard switches.

dfox 8y ago
IIRC original 3270 keyboard had solenoid that physically prevented user from pressing any key when the terminal was busy and would not be able to register the key press.
- ch_123 8y ago
  The solenoid on the one which I have (a 3278 keyboard) is separate to the keys. It is true that the solenoid will not operate when the terminal is unable to accept any key press, but it does not impede the operation of the keys themselves. To the best of my knowledge, the only IBM keyboards that could flat out prevent the keys from being pressed were ones based on the Selectric typewriter mechanism, such as the 2741
  - kps 8y ago
    In order to prevent two keys being active simultaneously, the Selectric had a linear track full of steel balls running from side to side, with just enough free space to allow a metal tab from a single key to enter. So locking the keyboard was just a matter of having a solenoid occupy the free space.