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Re: [Groff] Blast from the past


From: Dale Snell
Subject: Re: [Groff] Blast from the past
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2015 11:14:22 -0800

On Tue, 10 Feb 2015 20:53:42 +0000, in message
address@hidden,
Jones, Larry wrote:

> Dale Snell <address@hidden> writes:
> > 
> > Same here.  Alas, "This report is itself an example of a ROFF
> > generated manuscript."  Adding insult to injury, it appears to
> > have been printed on a (*shudder*) chain printer.  Note the
> > varying baseline heights.
> 
> "ROFF is a program which generates microfilm and 7-track binary
> magnetic tape for off line processing on an IBM Magnetic Tape /
> Selectric Typewriter..."
> 
> So, it was almost certainly printed on an automated typewriter. The
> Selectric used a type ball that tilted and rotated to select the
> character to print, so it could also create a varying baseline if the
> tilt mechanism was a bit slow or sticky.
> 
> -Larry Jones

It's been decades since I've used a Selectric.  They were nice.  I
never noticed any unevenness in the baselines, but then I was just
a kid in (and just out of) high school when I used them.  Probably
wouldn't have seen it, or even known to look for it.  OTOH, my
experience with chain printers showed them to be uniformly sloppy
with vertical character positioning.  I'm sure you're right that the
ROFF document was produced on a Selectric.  A chain printer would have
looked much worse.  :-)

I never saw a Selectric connected to a mag tape unit.  However,
somewhere I do have the mortal remains of a Selectric modified
to be a printer.  It hooked up via a serial port.

--Dale

-- 
Ivanova:  Always finding the good in any situation, eh Captain?
Sheridan:  Absolutely.  If I didn't, I might end up like you.

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