On 07/10/2014 12:47 PM, m.roth at 5-cent.us wrote: > Always Learning wrote: >> On Thu, 2014-07-10 at 10:39 -0400, m.roth at 5-cent.us wrote: >> >>> mark "we won't talk about the month I punch Addressograph >>> plates...." >> Addressograph plates? That is really ancient ! but they were >> incredible useful in those days. >> > Yeah... but did you ever do it, or see it done? Forget the old manual > Underwood, this required actual *force* hitting the keys (yes, the machine > was electric). No speed, either - the actuator arms had to hit the metal. > WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM But the Linotype melted the lead and you pressed which key you wanted the lead to flow into. Kind of. It was cool to see that bar of lead slowly get lowered into the melting pot and finally out the other side came the lead on steel printing plate. Though one I saw only made rows of text that then had to be lined up on the steel plate. I guess it was for allowing inclusion of pictures and such. Ah how xerography changed things. And that is again the point. We do things one way because with a big enough hammer we can get it to work. Then new ways and new goals come along and the old stuff heads off for the big melting pot in the backyard.