Fact · Dictation
Thomas Edison believed the phonograph's primary use would be in business as a dictation machine, not entertainment.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“he believed its primary use would be in business as a dictation machine.”
Dictation Machines, ETHW (IEEE History Center), 2019.
Open the original- What it measures
- The IEEE History Center's entry on dictation machines, which describes Edison's expectations for the phonograph when it was introduced.
- What it does not show
- A historical summary, not a primary document. Edison's expectation is well documented, but this page states it in summary form.