The aim of the device is to absorb electronically the reporter’s original story, retain it in a computer, and eliminate all the retypings that now occur as a piece of writing makes its way from reporters through bureaus to the home offices to the desks of editors & eventually to linotype machines.
Late reply, but reading the WP article, I don’t think we would really call this a “computer” these days (or even by 70’s standards), but more of a smart terminal. One might also call it a kind of advanced typewriter that was able to connect to a mainframe in order to upload a single article. Not disputing the section you pasted, but moreso adding on.
Am I nitpicking terms here? Possibly, but actual portable computers were introduced around these same years, and obviously were a historic advance.
The first commercially sold portable computer might be the 20-pound (9.1 kg) MCM/70, released 1974. The next major portables were the 50-pound (23 kg) IBM 5100 (1975)…
![[Thread] Teleram P-1800 // portable computer (US, 1974)](https://files.catbox.moe/qtagql.jpg){kind=link}
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1975/02/10/the-p-1800 (paywall)
Late reply, but reading the WP article, I don’t think we would really call this a “computer” these days (or even by 70’s standards), but more of a smart terminal. One might also call it a kind of advanced typewriter that was able to connect to a mainframe in order to upload a single article. Not disputing the section you pasted, but moreso adding on.
Am I nitpicking terms here? Possibly, but actual portable computers were introduced around these same years, and obviously were a historic advance.
@sag@lemm.ee