Re: Machine Shop

On Mon, 24 Feb 2025 14:56:30 -0500, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

From time to time, I had enough numerical data to process that I taught
myself to use the number pad without looking. It's not hard. (But its
weird that telephone key pads are not the same layout as keyboard keypads.)

The first touch tone phone was introduced by Ma Bell (AT&T) in 1963.
At the time, Ma Bell was doing everything possible to avoid being
declared a vertically integrated monopoly, which owns every part of
the business from components to equipment rentals.  Ma Bell actually
did own everything, but not the computer part of the business.

Ma Bell had various methods of convincing the courts that they were
not trying to extend their monopoly into the computer business.  As
long as Ma Bell was not selling or providing computer products or
services, the illusion was maintained.  The problem was that more
things were being done at the CO's (central offices) and at the
subscriber location by computers.  The billing machines, switches,
routing, etc were all done by devices closely resembling computers. Ma
Bell's strategy was to rename everything that could possibly be
considered a computer to some other less risky name.  AT&T also made
an effort to design the subscriber equipment to NOT look or function
like a computer.  The problem was that calculators were far older than
touch tone dials.  Therefore, the Ma Bell touch tone dial pad was
re-arranged so that it still functioned for dialing, but would drive
the subscriber (user) insane if they tried to use it as a calculator
or switch back and forth between the layouts.

There are also some other theories on why there's a difference:
<https://www.vcalc.net/keyboard.htm>





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Jeff Liebermann                 jeffl@cruzio.com
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