Fact · Dictation
From the earliest dictation machines, typists transcribed recordings on playback machines with foot pedals that controlled speed and let them reverse and repeat.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“Typists used playback machines with foot pedals to control the speed of the recording and to reverse and repeat as necessary.”
How the Dictaphone Entered Office Life, Allison Marsh, IEEE Spectrum, 2026, Main text.
Open the original- What it measures
- Describes the Graphophone era of the 1880s, when recorded cylinders were handed to a secretary for transcription.
- What it does not show
- Secondary historical account.
Source
Cited on
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