Mullaney, Thomas S.

The Chinese Typewriter: A History (The Chinese Typewriter)

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ISBN 13:: 9780262536103
author:: Mullaney, Thomas S.
format:: Paperback
publisher:: MIT Press
language:: English
Publication Year:: 2018
Pages:: 504
Dimensions:: 22.86 x 15.24 x 2.54 centimetres
Genre:: Nonfiction, Technology, History
Condition:: New
Availability:: Item usually sent within 20 working days

£25.66

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Description

Description

The Chinese Typewriter: A History explores the fascinating story of how Chinese characters overcame the limitations of the QWERTY keyboard to lay the foundation for China's information technology successes. In this century-long quest, Thomas Mullaney describes a series of experiments, prototypes, failures, and successes as Chinese typewriters were developed. The earliest models were often sensational accounts of elaborate keyboards with thousands of keys, while later designs were created for use in offices and schools. One notable example is the "Double Pigeon" typewriter produced by the Shanghai Calculator and Typewriter Factory, which became the preferred choice under Mao. The story also reveals how clerks and secretaries experimented with alternative ways of organizing characters on their trays, inventing an input method that was the first instance of predictive text. This book provides a unique insight into the history of Chinese typewriters and their impact on China's technological development.

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