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PoindexterOglethorpe

(27,945 posts)

30. A while back I read an entire book about the development of photocopying.

Sun Mar 17, 2019, 12:51 PM

Mar 2019

Copies in Seconds: Chester Carlson and the Birth of the Xerox Machine by David Owen. Sadly, it seems to be out of print. It is one of the most interesting books I've ever read, so if you can lay your hands on a copy, read it.

The relevant point is that when the first models of photocopy machines were placed in business offices on a trial basis, when the trial was over they practically had to pry the secretaries off of them to get machines back out of the offices. The technology completely transformed the office.

I still can't get over the fact that I can own my own personal photocopy machine that sits on my little computer desk and cost me about fifty dollars.

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We had it tough in the office back then. [View all] trof Mar 2019 OP

Using punch cards to write programs. guillaumeb Mar 2019 #1

Oh yes! Useless in FL Mar 2019 #15

I use to be one of those keypunchers. Delmette2.0 Mar 2019 #28

Back Spacing GP6971 Mar 2019 #2

Writing on clay tablets SCantiGOP Mar 2019 #3

Wins the day! marked50 Mar 2019 #19

Back in the '70's sazemisery Mar 2019 #4

Putting footnotes at the bottom of a research paper page. badhair77 Mar 2019 #5

Doing double entry accounting by hand, with a pen htuttle Mar 2019 #6

That journal page prought a flashback to Accounting 101. trof Mar 2019 #26

I used one with a "one armed bandit" style handle. NurseJackie Mar 2019 #31

Communicating to overseas clients by Telex. . . DinahMoeHum Mar 2019 #7

Happy memories of that n/t Lulu KC Mar 2019 #25

I miss the smell of mimeographed papers. BigmanPigman Mar 2019 #8

what was that stuff anyway KT2000 Mar 2019 #11

I don't know what the solution/chemical was but when I became a teacher BigmanPigman Mar 2019 #14

I loved the smell of mimeograph in the morning! mountain grammy Mar 2019 #17

..... BigmanPigman Mar 2019 #18

Yes! It smelled like ... JustABozoOnThisBus Mar 2019 #23

My first "real" job was as a Fed. Govt. clerk-steno. 1974. 50 Shades Of Blue Mar 2019 #9

IBM Selectric KT2000 Mar 2019 #10

Loved the Selectric! AwakeAtLast Mar 2019 #21

MA thesis, PhD dissertation on 2 carbons. Admin went thru each page sorting 1st,2nd copy by-- bobbieinok Mar 2019 #12

Ohhhh... I remember those days. We prepared manual spreadsheet Useless in FL Mar 2019 #13

Was in school for those oldies, elleng Mar 2019 #16

Using an adding machine (big, black, clunky) with a handle lillypaddle Mar 2019 #20

Bright yellow punch tape, the slight oily feel, the "chads" kept in a metal box. philly_bob Mar 2019 #22

Ashtrays on desks. A beer and burger for lunch. JustABozoOnThisBus Mar 2019 #24

And the overhead trolleys nitpicker Mar 2019 #27

I've been enjoying reading about everyone 's memories! And I can relate to most. Ohiogal Mar 2019 #29

A while back I read an entire book about the development of photocopying. PoindexterOglethorpe Mar 2019 #30

They laughed at me at work one time a few years back bearfan454 Jul 2019 #32