Term of the Moment
Alphabet
Definition: teleprinter
A typewriter-like terminal with a keyboard and built-in printer. It can be a desktop or portable unit. Teleprinters were quite common years ago as input terminals for computers, but have given way to the video screen. Teleprinter-like devices are still used in retail applications where receipts are necessary.
The Teleprinter
Paper Tape on a Teleprinter
Teleprinters were widely used starting with the very first computers. They lived well into the 1970s as a computer input device. Any keyboard and printing unit can be called a teleprinter.
Paper tape was widely used on teleprinters to record incoming data. The reel of tape in this picture is on the lower left side of the unit. (Image courtesy of General Electric Company.)