🚀 go-pugleaf

On 2018-03-17 22:13, Andreas Kohlbach wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Mar 2018 12:56:32 -0700 (PDT), hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>>
>> I think almost every programmer prepared some documentation on
>> punched cards and printed it out.
> 
> This you can do with any text editor. I do not use LibreOffice here when
> when coding (using vi or Emacs).
> 
>>> Apparently the IBM MT/ST (Magnetic Tape/Selectric Typewriter) from 1964
>>> would match that description which was used only with an IBM
>>> Selectric. But there should had been applications which would not depend
>>> on an external type writer rather than using a dedicated printer, no?
>>
>> Not sure of your question.  The IBM MT/ST and MC/ST was integrated
>> with a Selectric typewriter which provided the keyboard and 'printer'.
>> As others mentioned, they were word processors.
> 
> I think I understand a word processor is something you edit a text. It
> assists you by wrapping text and allow modification of characters, like
> bold. Only *after* you are done editing you would print it out or save it
> to a file. You could move paragraphs around and often do mail
> merge. Things a Selectric could not do.
> 
> The Selectric did not (for my knowledge) had a display. Even if it might
> had "write ahead" you could not see what you wrote until it was printed
> on paper. If you made a mistake it was too late. Because of that
> typewriters soon vanished after word processors were available in the
> late 70s to early 80s.
> 
> Which again raises the question: if word processors were around before
> the 70s, why didn't they supersede typewriters in offices already?

Cost.

You needed a good printer plus a computer, so not cheap at that time.
And also you needed to train the typist on using a computer and the
software.

Also the "personal computer" boom started in the 80s.

Me, I started using a wordprocesor somewhere around 1982 or later, and a
9 pin printer years later.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.