Print Unchained: Fifty Years of Digital Printing, 1950-2000 and Beyond, A Saga of Invention and Enterprise by Ted Webster

As digital technology continues its transformation of how we work and communicate, a unique sourcebook is being pitched for a limited time at a special discount for single or multiple copies. This groundbreaking presentation book, which early readers assert is a must-have for industry newcomers and veterans alike, is entitled "Print Unchained: Fifty Years of Digital Printing, 1950-2000 and Beyond, A Saga of Invention and Enterprise."

Excerpt #5
"Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats." This relates to the mini-theme, resistance to change, describing one of the most intractable inefficiencies in our society and work today. The following can be found in Chapter 2: Overture, The Technologies, Impact Printing, Serial full character impact printers (page 25) of the book.

DataHand -- The Better Way meets Resistance to Change.

The DataHand minimum motion keyboard presents an interesting case study of new technology adoption. This alternative to the traditional flat keyboard was developed initially to address productivity. Its effectiveness in addressing the ergonomic hazard inherent in the traditional keyboard was secondary. It has been found that DataHand has allowed many people disabled with wrist injuries to return to work. Where the promise of greater productivity fails to motivate, pain will. According to proponents, DataHand addresses all the stresses associated with the flat keyboard while other alternative keyboards are likely to address only 10% or so.

DataHand Ergonomic Keyboard,
"The comfortable and productive answer to the traditional keyboard and mouse."
Source: www.datahand.com

Here are a few quotes from DataHand's 199 user testimonial document.

"If aliens came to earth after humans were extinct and found a traditional, flat keyboard, they'd imagine we had thirteen fingers laid out in a straight line, like piano keys."

-- Clifford Lasser of Thinking Machines,
Cambridge, MA USA, a DataHand user.

Regarding resistance to change:

"The flat keyboard is a paradigm from another century intended to meet the work requirements of mechanical typewriters. Workers had to be slowed down to avoid the clash and snarling of the mechanism. Neither the productivity shortcomings nor ergonomic limitations can be fixed until the paradigm is changed…

"Human limitations have deferred the acceptance of many innovative, forward looking ideas…The telephone floundered for a time under the perception that it was no more than an interesting novelty without practical application. Acceptance of steamships was slowed while the makers of sailing ships tried every conceivable means to improve the efficiency of their sail designs and deployment. The zipper, invented at the turn of the last century, was not widely accepted until almost fifty years later - when the government brought it to the attention of man people by using it on military clothing."

DataHand backer Don Patterson's words of encouragement to Datahand prospects, users and also, no doubt, investors: "Introducing an innovative, new paradigm to the world is never easy or fast - even when the concept being replaced is entirely deficient. Paradigm change is always hard for people. Perseverance in the face of skepticism and uncertainty is a necessity. Long-standing habits of an entire culture are not relinquished any more quickly than the harmful substance dependencies afflicting individual citizens."

Change, it seems often has to be literally forced onto people. A student once said to his professor, who happened to be Howard Aiken, inventor of the Mark I computer at Harvard, that he was afraid someone might steal his (the student's) ideas. Aiken replied, "Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats."*

*Slater, Robert, Portraits in Silicon, MIT Press, 1987

"Print Unchained" Elicits Raves

"It's an absolute must-have for anyone in the field of graphic communications." [Professor Michael Kleper, RIT; Publisher, Kleper Report on Digital Publishing]

"Highly readable . . . .a tale of adventure and intrigue, risk and reward, success and failure." [Art Diamond, toner technology consultant/researcher, author]

"In 22 years of writing book reviews, this is the first book that we have ever given our unreserved recommendation." [Michael Kleper]

"A publishing masterpiece." [Ed Pullen, industry analyst]

The volume is billed as a testimonial to the people and the companies, the invention and the enterprise that built the digital printing industry and continues to drive the historic merger between the traditional analog and digital worlds. Besides serving as a unique industry handbook, the hard cover volume is being profitably used as a memorable goodwill instrument for colleagues, potential shareholders and investors, key clients, recruitment prospects from other industries, and dealers and other business partners.

The publisher, DRA of Vermont, Inc. has announced a 25% discount off list for single or multiple copies.

"We see it as a kind of mind-share bullet unlike anything else now available. As a history it celebrates and lends perspective to the birth and continuing development of digital printing technologies," principle author Edward Webster says. "It is a revolution that will continue to change the face of the graphic arts and also bring an increasing level of publishing power to the people."

Among the others who contributed to the book are Manfred Wiedemer of Océ Printing Systems GmbH, consultants Mike Willis, Mike Zeis and Frank Romano, industry luminaries such as Bob Howard, John Warnock, Chip Holt and Dick Hackborn, and the consultants of I.T. Strategies, Inc. (Hanover, MA) including Mark Hanley, Marco Boer, and Patti Williams.

Author Webster has been involved with the industry for most of the fifty years covered. He has researched and authored dozens of studies and reports for both the computer printer industry and the printing industry. He founded and directed Datek Information Services, Inc., a market, technology, and strategic information resource for vendors of printers and supplies. Earlier he served as technical director of the Business Forms Section of Printing Industries of America, Inc. Currently he is consulting editor to I.T. Strategies, Inc.

Hardcover; landscape format; 272 pages; over 200 illustrations, charts and tables; fully indexed; ISBN 0-9702617-0-5. Limited Edition. Current price is $93.75. Steep discounts for multiple copy orders. To order or for additional information contact DRA by mail, phone (802-464-5845), fax (802-464-6534), email (tedweb@sover.net) or website (www.printunchained.com).