Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2019 September 28

= September 28 =

First handheld printer ever? First handheld digital (mobile) camera ever? smallest Printer of the world?
Hi there as you see, my question is about: I ask this question because I have discovered lately that there existed a Game Boy Printer for the Gameboy Camera - also built by Nintendo. As much as I have understood, I feel like if its from 1998, its all of that: the smallest printer ever and the first handheld printer ever (I cant even count another printer same like that) and its feels like the Nintendo Camera was the first camera ever, it took time till alcatel, siemens or nokia mobile phones had a camera "onboard". My question is, I am right with this? May this be the smallest printer ever, the first printer ever which you can use outdoor and put in your pocket or was there yet a serial (! please no prototypes) printer before? -46.167.62.33 (talk) 01:03, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
 * First handheld printer ever?
 * First handheld digital (mobile) camera ever?
 * smallest Printer of the world?


 * For the first handheld printer you may want a very old adding machine with a roll of paper in it for printouts. I don't know how old those are, but IBM made things like that before computers. Here's the specs on one of these antiques (1935) from another company: . At 12 lbs, it should (barely) qualify as hand-held. SinisterLefty (talk) 01:07, 28 September 2019 (UTC)


 * It would qualify as portable, yes, but I suggest handheld means you have to be able to operate it while holding it up with your hand. This sort of thing, for example. --76.69.116.4 (talk) 01:55, 28 September 2019 (UTC)


 * The one I linked to could be operated with two hands, one holding it up, and the other entering the numbers and then pulling the "return" handle, like a typewriter. I picture a manager at a department store walking from salesman to salesman to get their sales for the day, and entering each into the machine as he goes. He might set it down where convenient, but use it hand-held when there wasn't a good spot to sit it down. SinisterLefty (talk) 02:12, 28 September 2019 (UTC)


 * Aw, don't be silly: look at the size of it! To hold it up using one hand you'd either have to balance it with your hand on the middle of the bottom and no grip on the sides, or grip it very hard by one side, with the weight off-center.  You might be able to push the buttons carefully with the other hand but you'd never be able to use the crank handle. --76.69.116.4 (talk) 07:29, 28 September 2019 (UTC)


 * Your average adult man could grip it from below and on the sides. It's 7 inches wide, about the same as my computer keyboard, and I can grip it on the sides (thumb on one side, 3 fingers on the other side, one finger in the middle). SinisterLefty (talk) 17:16, 28 September 2019 (UTC)

Thanks for the idea of the printers of 1935 and older, but I was thinking about electric ones, and only electronic ones -46.167.62.33 (talk) 02:21, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I'd be looking at desk calculators and shop cash registers of the 1970s for the first small-size electronic printers. These grew from the mechanical receipt printers of cash registers and once the concept of thermal printing took off they were widespread. Converting these to be computer printer peripherals was pretty easy - they took the same mechanisms and just added an interface.  Because the thermal printers were metrix printers, rather than drum printers (limited to digits for calculators) they could print a full character set. This would have been impractical for a drum printer of that size and cost.
 * Most of them were made by Japanese printer companies. Several of these companies made printers alone, which would be incorporated into computers or computer peripherals badged by other makers. Andy Dingley (talk) 10:42, 28 September 2019 (UTC)


 * For cameras, our article History_of_the_camera says the first prototype digital camera was built in 1975 and the first commercial product was the Fuji DS-1P in 1988. CodeTalker (talk) 16:15, 28 September 2019 (UTC)

Breakaway usb cable to old xbox classic controller on xbox 360 slim S?
I am interested if the newest 360 may recognize an xbox classic controller if its connected by such a breakaway usb adapter. I found the information that the old xbox 360 consoles (with the old HDD on top) doesn't accept the controller as a controller if linked, but maybe the newer one is a bit more "intelligent" ? -46.167.62.33 (talk) 02:26, 28 September 2019 (UTC)