Newspaper piece on collecting typewriters

[blackstone]

Royal Typewriter

Still have the Royal Typewriter that was used in our store. The BW picture is probably 1960. I cleaned it up; bought one part and a ribbon from Cambridge (Mass.) Typewriter; and lubricated the stuck keys with Kroil (from Kano Labs). Sure feels different typing on this, compared to a computer keyboard.

Sitting at the same desk, too.

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

 

[rp2813]

Typing Test

Great Royal story!  Nice machine!

 

For a long time I thought the fox jumped, but then realized he jumps.

 

In my first typing class, it was "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."  Over and over and over.  Not sure where that came from, as the whole alphabet isn't represented in that one.  Could be that it was so early in the course that we weren't reaching for the outer limits with  P, Q, Z, etc. yet.

 

[tolivac]

Used to use an IBM electri typewriter to type radio station AM transmitter logs in the WPGC days-in Wash DC.One day a mouse buiolt his nest over the night in the type basket--was startling to start the sign on log and a mouse jumping out at you!!!Cleaned out mouse nest and went on.For the FM logs used a Remeinging "ball" typewriter-forgot the model#.The Remington got moved to the studio-then FM logs kept by hand.IBM typewriter died-replaced with a White Royal manual-saw those at newspapers.Then at VOA's newsroom on the mid shift-watched a newsman type out his story on a typewriter just like what I used at WPGC.One other newsman was struggling with his computer.The newsman with his typewriter got his story on the air faster than the man fiddling with the computer.Talked to the typewriter guy-he did used to work in a newspaper newsroom.Hung out in one at one time so watched how those workedOh yes-would take a TYPEWRITER keyboard ANYDAY over this CRAPPY Dell computer keyboard!.

 

[petek]

Remington Rand made a clone of the IBM Selectric ball typewriter under license iirc. It was made in Holland I believe, but memory is shaky.

 

[kevin313]

Typewriters can't be hacked!

 

[lordkenmore]

I loved the way you used a typewriter to post on this, Kevin!

 

[lordkenmore]

As I mentioned above, I acquired and used manual typewriters in the 1980s, just as word processing was taking over, and manual typewriters mostly faded away. I can't remember all the whys and wherefores, but I'm sure one selling point was how cheap manual typewriters were at yard sales... For a few dollars, I was able to have my own typewriter, rather than using my parents'.

 

The funny thing, though, was that I liked the manual typewriters better. The manual typewriter required force to operate the key, and it seemed like that cut down dramatically on typos vs my parents' sensitive electric.

 

Of course, the fact that the manual typewriter was old, obsolete technology probably appealed, too...

 

Strangely, though, I've got an electric now like my parents had, and I find it less overly sensitive. Maybe it's sample to sample variation. Maybe it's just that my fingers have gotten too used to low effort computer keyboards. (Interestingly, I don't really like keyboards that take a lot of effort. IBM M series are popular in some circles--high precision, and built to last more or less forever--but they take more force than I like.) Maybe it's also a factor of getting older--I probably have less energy than I did when I was 15...

 

[lordkenmore]

Distraction free writing

Typewriters certainly can eliminate the distractions of the Internet!

 

There is actually writing software out there that is intended to create a distraction free environment. Software probably varies, but the programs often take the entire screen over. They also may have nothing but a blank screen covered with your words.

 

One such program that might be worth mentioning is FocusWriter. It includes an option that will apparently make typewriter sounds.

 

FocusWriter

gottcode.org

 

Another approach is using an older computer that is too old for the Internet. With that approach, one has the plusses of word processing, without the problems of Internet distractions. With the right choice of software, a file can be easily moved to a newer system and put into a format for the modern world (e.g., Word compatible).

 

[tolivac]

To me the typewriter keyboard is better engineered than the flat computer keyboards of today.The Dell keyboard I use right now-the keys are too big,too closely spaced.The slant of the real typewriter keyboards makes it easier to type-and how many old time typists had carpel tunnel syndrome?Seems tha is a modern ailment that wasn't a problem in older days.