Now here is something you don't see every day. And made in the 1770s

[K7SGJ]

This is way cool. The thought, planning, and workmanship is amazing. And, the parts were all hand cut, no lasers in the 1770s.


http://www.chonday.com/Videos/the-writer-automaton

[PA5COR]

Astonishing....

[suddenseer]

This is way cool. The thought, planning, and workmanship is amazing. And, the parts were all hand cut, no lasers in the 1770s.


http://www.chonday.com/Videos/the-writer-automatonMost of the gears, and cams could easily be made with a modern electrostatic discharge process. I am not only amazed at the craftsmanship, but the abstract thought processes to envision how all of the parts interact in one system is mind blowing. Ancient cultures apparently made some amazing machines as well (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism). I think modern technology allows dummies like myself to do things that only prodigies could perform back in the day.

[KK4AMI]

Most of the gears, and cams could easily be made with a modern electrostatic discharge process. I am not only amazed at the craftsmanship, but the abstract thought processes to envision how all of the parts interact in one system is mind blowing. Ancient cultures apparently made some amazing machines as well (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism). I think modern technology allows dummies like myself to do things that only prodigies could perform back in the day.

Back then they were called craftsman, a craftsman was a combination artist, manufacturer and engineer. Today those three disciplines split into three different paths.

[K7SGJ]

Back then they were called craftsman, a craftsman was a combination artist, manufacturer and engineer. Today those three disciplines split into three different paths.

And craftsmanship is pretty much a lost art. It seems like taking pride in ones work is only practiced by very few any more.

[NA4BH]

Eddie learned how to write, it is something you don't see every day.

[K7SGJ]

Eddie learned how to write, it is something you don't see every day.


And Bob learned how to wrong.

[VE7DCW]

That automaton was using it's "right" hand to "write" with...... maybe how you use the correct spelling all would be well.... :mrgreen:

The earliest ancestor to the modern day computer........ most interesting! :yes:

[NQ6U]

Sure, it's "a distant ancestor to the modern programmable computer" but can you run Photoshop on it?

[VE7DCW]

Sure, it's "a distant ancestor to the modern programmable computer" but can you run Photoshop on it?

Not a bloody chance! ....... not enough usable memory! :spin:

........sort of reminded me of Windows 3.1 when it first come out.......almost as usable as an OS.

[n0iu]

........sort of reminded me of Windows 3.1 when it first come out.......almost as usable as an OS.

Well not to be nit picky...

Well yeah, maybe to be a little nit picky...

But didn't Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 still required you to have DOS? At the consumer level, I thought Windows 95 was the first stand alone product. (Yeah, I know that NT3.5 and 3.51 actually came out before Windows 95) Up until that point, Windows was just a GUI, not really what you would call an "operating system".

But I could be wrong!

[suddenseer]

Not a bloody chance! ....... not enough usable memory! :spin:

........sort of reminded me of Windows 3.1 when it first come out.......almost as usable as an OS.OS2/warp did all of the winders 3.1.1 functions with just a smidge of memory requirements.

[kd6nig]

Well not to be nit picky...

Well yeah, maybe to be a little nit picky...

But didn't Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 still required you to have DOS? At the consumer level, I thought Windows 95 was the first stand alone product. (Yeah, I know that NT3.5 and 3.51 actually came out before Windows 95) Up until that point, Windows was just a GUI, not really what you would call an "operating system".

But I could be wrong!

95 was the first that booted into that interface on its own. You could do that with the others, but you had to put the executable in the autoexec.bat file to accomplish it.

I'm trying to remember how many 3.5" discs it came on :)

[K7SGJ]

95 was the first that booted into that interface on its own. You could do that with the others, but you had to put the executable in the autoexec.bat file to accomplish it.

I'm trying to remember how many 3.5" discs it came on :)

I'll count them. I think I still have a set.