Re: Development of ASCII

On Mar 10, 2:12=A0am, "Adam H. Kerman" <a...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >I strongly doubt IBM would've considered a code that wasn't related to
> >its punch cards since in 1962 punch cards remained a very big part of
> >I/O for computers.
> >Remember that IBM had converters to translate Baudot into Hollerith
> >(punched card) since 1940. =A0Companies used this to transmit data.
>
> I know; I read that too. But IBM also had a whole bunch of incompatible
> code sets. There wasn't one universal code set, even in one company.

Actually, AFAIK, IBM only had three character sets before S/360--BCD
and binary and quinary (for 650).  BCD handled zone and data as did
EBCDIC.     EBCDIC went far beyond card codes.




> I guess that makes sense as there were too many machines limited to
> 5-bit communication to ignore. I wonder why the machines couldn't
> communicate in both 5-bit and 7-bit.

The machines generated and interpreted codes mechanically, which
represented a considerable part of the machine.  To handle multiple
codes would have required very substantial complexity.


> >The business telegraph switched networks--Telex and TWX--mostly stayed
> >with Baudot (I used them well into the 1970s).
>
> I'm confused. I thought TWX went to ASCII. So you're saying Teletype's
> use of ASCII was limited to direct station-to-station communication, not
> using the network, like a directly dialed typewriter or something?

I believe TWX, while it was owned by AT&T, was primarily Baudot, even
with 'new' Teletypes.  It's just what everybody was using and a
universal code, with limited motivation and benefit to convert to
ASCII.  (for plain communications, ASCII didn't add anything.)  Into
the 1970s electronic converters became available, but then TWX was
sold to Western Union, and TTY networks were in decline by then.

Remember well into the 1970s plenty of users had older Teletype models
that were Baudot only.

Teletypewriters that used ASCII tended to be used as computer
terminals, either direct or dial-up.  In the late 1960s that became a
big business.




> >The ASCII machines tended to be used as computer terminals, not
> >telegraph terminals.
>
> Which computer manufacturers had adopted ASCII early?

Well, GE pioneered BASIC Time Sharing at Dartmouth Univ and started a
business on that.  HP sold time sharing computers which were popular.
I believe PDP machines used them as terminals.  Various mini computers
used them as well.