6 ms·

We'll buy back your Typewriter for Uncle Sam

130 points by pncnmnp 2y ago

kgeist 2y ago
>What's fascinating is that Smith-Corona is still in existence today. Wikipedia provides a great overview of how they have managed to adapt through several millennia of innovation Did they mean "decades"? (English is not my native language)
- RockRobotRock 2y ago
  They meant centuries.
  - pncnmnp 2y ago
    Thanks, my mistake. I’ve corrected it. In my initial draft, I wanted to convey a sense of "enduring innovation" so I used that term symbolically as a placeholder. It went right past me during the final edits.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
initramfs 2y ago
https://ploum.net/the-computer-built-to-last-50-years/index.html https://ploum.net/the-computer-built-to-last-50-years/index....
- sevensor 2y ago
  That was a good read, thanks for posting! I suspect in 50 years it will become much clearer what the 50 year computer is. The leading edge still moves at a blistering rate, but computing devices are so widespread now that eddies full of slower moving technology are inevitable. I’m not sure the 50 year computer will happen on purpose, either. Just as likely, a community forms around some gadget that was made for another purpose, and in its afterlife it turns out to have been unusually well designed. Consider the surviving typewriters. Typewriters used to break down all the time. We had typewriter repairmen. The typewriters that remain were lucky: well designed, well maintained, well kept. A lot of bad typewriters are rusting in landfills.
  - initramfs 2y ago
    I think a properly modular system, similar to the ATX computer case, would be a practical 50 year computer, even if no single part lasts that long. The ATX motherboard form factor was developed in 1995 by Intel. Today motherboards are still made by AMD and Intel that meet that size. Previous attempts to make a modular cell phone by Google's Project Ara ended in 2017. https://hackaday.io/project/177716-the-femtotx-motherboard-standard https://hackaday.io/project/177716-the-femtotx-motherboard-s... If a system reuses even 10%, that still reduces the waste that goes into manufacturing a new replacement, such as a system fan or chassis.
jdietrich 2y ago
This advertisement was published shortly before Smith-Corona started production of 1903A3 rifles. https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-smith-corona-model-1903a3s/ https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-smith-corona-mo...
- sandworm101 2y ago
  The popular image of WWII is of the late-war technology. We have forgotten that when the US entered the war it did so with gun tech that was already forty years old, tech that was regarded as oldschool during the previous war.
  - throwaway48476 2y ago
    This understates civilian firearms development that was cutting edge. Notably the Thompson gun and BAR. Of course the US then kneecapped the industry with the NFA. The 1911, while being an old design lasted for many more decades as well.
    - mhalle 2y ago
      NFA == National Firearms Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Firearms_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Firearms_Act
    - hotspot_one 2y ago
      1911 is still a great design. yeah, single-action trigger, but there are draw techniques which rack the slide and the gun is designed to enable these-- and double-action requires a heavier first trigger pull, which can throw your aim off both for the first shot (heavy pull) and second shot (massively easier pull but you are expecting heavy). Yeah, small magazine compared to 9mm, but that's because police tactics have changed; the 1911 was not designed for "fire and maneuver" tactics. 1911 is more "one shot stop", something which 9mm doesn't do reliably.
      - dmoy 2y ago
ZiiS 2y ago
I know the article is new; but given the title is straight from the Ad it would be clearer suffixed (1942).
pseingatl 2y ago
Orders had to be typed. In 1943 or 1944 a Liberty ship carrying only typewriters went down in the English channel.
williamty689 2y ago
[dead]

130 points by pncnmnp 2y ago

>What's fascinating is that Smith-Corona is still in existence today. Wikipedia provides a great overview of how they have managed to adapt through several millennia of innovation Did they mean "decades"? (English is not my native language)

RockRobotRock 2y ago
They meant centuries.
- pncnmnp 2y ago
  Thanks, my mistake. I’ve corrected it. In my initial draft, I wanted to convey a sense of "enduring innovation" so I used that term symbolically as a placeholder. It went right past me during the final edits.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

initramfs 2y ago

https://ploum.net/the-computer-built-to-last-50-years/index.html https://ploum.net/the-computer-built-to-last-50-years/index....

sevensor 2y ago
That was a good read, thanks for posting! I suspect in 50 years it will become much clearer what the 50 year computer is. The leading edge still moves at a blistering rate, but computing devices are so widespread now that eddies full of slower moving technology are inevitable. I’m not sure the 50 year computer will happen on purpose, either. Just as likely, a community forms around some gadget that was made for another purpose, and in its afterlife it turns out to have been unusually well designed. Consider the surviving typewriters. Typewriters used to break down all the time. We had typewriter repairmen. The typewriters that remain were lucky: well designed, well maintained, well kept. A lot of bad typewriters are rusting in landfills.
- initramfs 2y ago
  I think a properly modular system, similar to the ATX computer case, would be a practical 50 year computer, even if no single part lasts that long. The ATX motherboard form factor was developed in 1995 by Intel. Today motherboards are still made by AMD and Intel that meet that size. Previous attempts to make a modular cell phone by Google's Project Ara ended in 2017. https://hackaday.io/project/177716-the-femtotx-motherboard-standard https://hackaday.io/project/177716-the-femtotx-motherboard-s... If a system reuses even 10%, that still reduces the waste that goes into manufacturing a new replacement, such as a system fan or chassis.

jdietrich 2y ago

This advertisement was published shortly before Smith-Corona started production of 1903A3 rifles. https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-smith-corona-model-1903a3s/ https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-smith-corona-mo...

sandworm101 2y ago
The popular image of WWII is of the late-war technology. We have forgotten that when the US entered the war it did so with gun tech that was already forty years old, tech that was regarded as oldschool during the previous war.
- throwaway48476 2y ago
  This understates civilian firearms development that was cutting edge. Notably the Thompson gun and BAR. Of course the US then kneecapped the industry with the NFA. The 1911, while being an old design lasted for many more decades as well.
  - mhalle 2y ago
    NFA == National Firearms Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Firearms_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Firearms_Act
  - hotspot_one 2y ago
    1911 is still a great design. yeah, single-action trigger, but there are draw techniques which rack the slide and the gun is designed to enable these-- and double-action requires a heavier first trigger pull, which can throw your aim off both for the first shot (heavy pull) and second shot (massively easier pull but you are expecting heavy). Yeah, small magazine compared to 9mm, but that's because police tactics have changed; the 1911 was not designed for "fire and maneuver" tactics. 1911 is more "one shot stop", something which 9mm doesn't do reliably.
    - dmoy 2y ago

ZiiS 2y ago

I know the article is new; but given the title is straight from the Ad it would be clearer suffixed (1942).

pseingatl 2y ago

Orders had to be typed. In 1943 or 1944 a Liberty ship carrying only typewriters went down in the English channel.

williamty689 2y ago

[dead]