On 1/26/23 12:34, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > > > I believe professionals routinely achieved that speed, certainly on electric > typewriters; non-electric ones would be a bit harder.
This may surprise some: https://www.academyoflearning.com/blog/the-fastest-typists-in-the-world-past-and-present/ >> The IBM selectric mechanism could handle 14.8 characters per second, about >> 150 WPM. At GSFC, one guy managed to get a selectric terminal up to about >> twice that (300 baud?), but soon, the [APL] typeball flew off across the >> room. There was some discussion of competing for distance. I submit that the Selectric was not the optimum platform with which to set speed records. As an aside, one nice thing about old FORTRAN 66 and predecessors, is the use of what amounts to a 46 character set, which amounts to letters, numbers and -+=()/.,* and space. It makes for very fast program entry. --Chuck
