Re: the computer built to last 50 years

On 2025-03-17, Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:27:02 -0300, Salvador Mirzo wrote:
>

Each time I look at my Hermes Rocket typewriter (on the left in the
picture), I’m astonished by the fact that the thing looks pretty modern
and, after a few cleaning, works like a charm. The device is 75 years
old and is a very complex piece of technology with more than 2000 moving
parts. It’s still one of the best tools to focus on writing.

>
Technology is here to adapt to our needs, we should not be adapting our
needs to the technology.
>
People who are used to typewriters don’t notice the absence of features
they don’t provide. Think what an advance it was when Mike Nesmith’s
mother invented Tipp-Ex. Then the advances in digital technology allowed
the creation of specialist machines called “word processors”, with text
memories, macro keys and other advanced features. Just the ability to
preview a page of text on the screen before printing it out led to the
saving, not just of paper, but of time.

This is better: 

http://mynor.org/my4th_forthdeck.htm

Adding up serial support it's trivial.
Other languages than English? Translit:
áéíóúñ <-> 'a 'e 'i 'o 'u 'n as the
apostrophe it's almost never used in
Spanish except for foreign English
words (or non-educated SIC shortenings
such as pa'+object (para, as in foh-sth in English).

Bonus: you get a free RPN calculator, a potential
Algebra CAS, and with a bith of programming,
a ZMachine interpreter.

Altough I'd prefer a proper 64x16 screen and some storage,
even if it uses Forth blocks.
With a 64x16 screen tons of stuff will run better, such
as friendlier editor, a Sokoban game, a better game
area for the ZMachine, ASCII graphs, a bigger
window for inputting code and so on.