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  •  well... (none / 0)

    if you are saying a regular selectric could do proportional type you are just flat wrong.  The selectrics always advancaed the same length (within the pitch setting selected) no matter what key you typed.  This really isn't in dispute by anyone who has done any research.  THe big deal about the executive was that it could do proportional type.

    by Damon on Wed Sep 15, 2004 at 04:25:09 AM PDT

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    •  OK, I will shut up now :) (none / 0)

      I am clearly over my depth and almost as clearly unaware of it. I will wait for the dust to settle on this one. I am operating under the apparently mistaken belief that this machine produced proportional type, but based on the pushback, I am missing something. My apologies for not getting that earlier.

      Q: How stupid can 51% of our country be? A: Pretty damned stupid.

      by wunderwood on Wed Sep 15, 2004 at 05:43:13 AM PDT

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      •  Please Don't (none / 0)

        With due respect to clyde and Damon, I see exactly what you are saying.  

        Words like 'capital' and 'mighty' clearly show proportional spacing.  No need to zoom in and count the pixels - it is clear from just looking at it.

        I also know that you are not arguing this is an absolute refutation, but just a challenge to one of the points that has been too often repeated.

        by Mod Cur on Wed Sep 15, 2004 at 05:54:11 AM PDT

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        •  Clear the Way - Expert Here (none / 0)

          Print publishing is my bailiwick. The sample offered clearly demonstrates proportional spacing. Size of "m", "n" and "l" vary ... simply superimpose a grid to see.

          BEYOND EXPERTISE: Don't recall how fancy the SELECTRICs were, though I am sure that one could back-space fractionally (half-spaces?). Really has been quite a while since I'd used one (early 90s). And I don't know that proportional spacing was available on SELECTRIC models in the late 60s/early 70s. IBM executives, iirc from typing class in HS (I was lousy typing student), could optionally p/s. Lotsa wild features on those machines, little doubt the could superscript special characters for ordinal numbers if particular font was installed.

          Which pundit most resembles Ruby Rhod?

          by wystler on Wed Sep 15, 2004 at 02:13:32 PM PDT

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