[timonoko]

"Mechanically" is funnier expression. But kinda true because it switched also trunk lines in some small PBX. 8080 was bloody expensive in 1976 and RAMs were too. I only heard about because I was employed to design something similar for Telenokia.

[dcminter]

Unless you mean that a physically moving part caused the banks to switch then "mechanically" is the wrong word here.

If that is how the bank switching was done then that's fascinating and very very surprising and I would love to hear more about it.

[timonoko]

Forgot this is HN where everything is taken literally. Humour is [Flagged].

I myself made a Coin-Operated Telephone server, but in 1978 the processor was already cheaper and faster 8085.

[dcminter]

Low effort humour is discouraged, it's in the site guidelines and since it wasn't amusing, just confusing, perhaps you should skip the humour and consult them.

[dcminter]

Uh. I seem to be suffering from the Mandela effect; it is not in the site guidelines. It's definitely the overall policy officially or otherwise though (one which I'm entirely happy with despite having a juvenile sense of humour myself).

I think this essay is where it originated: https://paulgraham.com/hackernews.html

[rbanffy]

I think the big problem is that "mechanically" gives the wrong idea.