IBM 2741 Communications Terminal
physical object
Identifier
2016.7.63Description
The IBM 2741 was a printing computer terminal introduced in the 1960s that was often used to communicate with an IBM System/360 computer, such as the Model 75. Based on the famous Selectric typewriter mechanism, it connected via serial line to send and receive commands and data from a computer, and to edit text stored remotely on the computer. The IBM 2741 had interchangeable type fonts with "typeball". This made it possible to use with the APL programming language, which featured unusual characters. In the early 1970s, the Faculty of Math's Honeywell mainframe was connected to a room full of IBM 2741 terminals: "the sound of the room was deafening. Dozen of 'dancing-ball' type-heads were basing out words at the amazing speed of about 13 characters per second." (See Ponzo, Peter J. Computer Science at Waterloo: A History to Celebrate 25 Years, 1992.)Related Term
Computer Terminals (describes)Related people
Charlotte Wipp (is documentarian of)Institute for Computer Research, UW (was donor of)