-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- In list.cypherpunks, tcmay@netcom.com writes:
Around the mid 1980's a rather interesting device appeared. It was essentially an automated scanner for high-density barcodes.
"Cauzin Softstrips" was the product, as I recall. I wouldn't use the word "quite" in "It never quite caught on," except in irony, as I'm pretty sure essentially _no_ such machines were sold. Maybe a few, but not many more.
I remember the product, including the test strip printed in BYTE that caused a flurry of "what's this?" letters. I'm sure Tim is right about very few readers being sold. But I think that 2 other things influenced the Cauzin's demise. There was the steady drop in magnetic media prices that eroded the potential savings in storage on paper. But I think the more important event was that Cauzin was bought by Kodak. This was at a time when Kodak was getting into mag media pretty heavily (both computer disks and video tape). I always sort of assumed Kodak bought Cauzin to rid themselves of some competition. - -- Roy M. Silvernail [ ] roy@cybrspc.mn.org "Governments find it notoriously difficult to work with people that they cannot shoot." -- James A. Donald <jamesd@netcom.com> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.1 iQCVAwUBLuu96Rvikii9febJAQFy+AP/ZyutzrPSt9YiGxmGsX51lMWsOoU5giXU pGo8VhYDDZ3uIkR5PLPElMMgRfjVM7AMVcQr+3zxab2i+ihxr9fga7j2QqSnOGk9 pBXuDdrI84i7ChsmNzUxWtN2oTKg52cVxC+GNAmrY2mu25oJXTB6M/ntc+/mgk5L wMrHpx129sE= =rl8a -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----