The IBM Magnetic Tape Selectric Composer
Erik Bruchez recounts acquiring an IBM Magnetic Tape Selectric Composer (MT/SC) system, a 1964 innovation merging typewriters with magnetic tape for enhanced text composition. The system's electromechanical and electronic features revolutionized office technology.
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In a blog post, Erik Bruchez shares his journey of acquiring an IBM Magnetic Tape Selectric Composer (MT/SC) system, a rare find that combines typewriters with magnetic tape for word processing and publishing. The MT/SC, introduced in 1964, was a significant advancement in office technology, allowing for faster and more efficient text composition compared to earlier models. The system includes the Magnetic Tape Selectric Recorder (MT/SR) as an input station and the Magnetic Tape Selectric Composer (MT/SC) as the output station. The MT/SC system features electromechanical components and electronic memory, enabling automatic text output with options for hyphenation and font changes. Erik's acquisition includes maintenance binders, tapes, ribbons, type elements, and service records dating back to 1969. The MT/SC system represents a milestone in typewriter technology, bridging the gap between word processing and typesetting for medium-sized publications. Erik's detailed exploration and cleaning of the acquired system reveal its historical significance and operational intricacies, shedding light on a lesser-known chapter in IBM's typewriter product line evolution.
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6 commentsI used it to produce a whole book during which the typewriter motor died just after having typed in the whole thing and just before I was going to have it 'print' the text so we could cut and paste it on stand sheets for offset reproduction. I managed to find a working motor which I installed in the machine upon which I had to re-adjust the whippletree mechanism which aims the ball since the characters ended up everywhere except for where they needed to be. Those were a few intense hours since I had to go by intuition on how this all worked, not having access to a service manual and this being long before the time when you'd just go on the 'net to find one. I got it adjusted and got the book printed by feeding the typewriter with paper and the device with cassette tapes, telling it to print a page, feeding in a new sheet, next page, next cassette tape, etc.
So I edited it on 8 kilo core memory holding few pages, hoping that the core stays intact overnight.
Final blow was when professor doubted if he can accept thesis written by a computer. Because it was little bit like cheating.
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