Are Player Pianos Early Computers ?
By Fritz Gellerman
The player piano is a late entry in the history of programmed machines. The first documented automatic musical instrument was invented in the ninth century by the Banu Musa in Baghdad. It consisted of a pinned cylinder playing flute pipes. Many others were made over the years. The Jacquard automatic loom used punched cards to control the pattern in 1805. The familiar player piano mechanism was previously used in reed organs. No doubt others will be inspired to quote other examples.
Fritz Gellerman
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(Message sent Sun 25 Feb 1996, 22:49:57 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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