The Ultratec Supercom

Quite a nifty little unit, which you can see, still works:-) Again, quite a substantial qwerty keyboard, which emits the most awful beep everytime you press a key! From the keyboard, it doesn’t look like it has an extensive character set so would imagine it was quite limited functionality wise. It also doesn’t appear to have a serial interface. However, when you remove the small plastic cover between the acoustic cups, there is a strange printer port.

Removing the cover also reveals another little gem. This thing could run on batteries! Not, however, the ones that are in it, they must be at least twenty years old. This view also shows the acoustic cups clearly (I assure you, that brown stuff in there is not ear wax) and also the strange little printer interface.

Again, I have no idea what this was used for but it must have been in circulation for a while after I joined the organization as the mains adapter with it was tested by electrical contractors in 1995. The company had started installing PCs on desks by this time and had also started using the Internet, so who ever used this was really being left behind!

Incidentally and FWIW, I still have the original box for this, as well as the original warranty card. Wonder if I could get any support for it these days?

Actually, it does look like they still exist, and still sell acoustic couplers!

Ultratec