Personally, I was more fond of electric typewriters than manual ones. I had an old IBM Selectric
office machine from the late 50's at one point. It weighed as much as a boat anchor and hummed loudly when you turned it on.I grew up around a typewriter because my sister preceded me in school and she had one. Then I got one. I was never proficient on the keyboard - I use a method halfway between hunt-and-peck and fluent typing. After years and years of eraser pencils that tore holes in paper, and goopy whiteout that stuck to everything, and messy carbon paper that smeared and smudged, I considered it a miracle when the word processor appeared. When computers with word processing software and printers appeared later, it seemed even more miraculous. A lot of the novelty has worn off now, though, and I think nothing of it as I edit this blog before I post it.
I still have a portable electric typewriter, but I haven't looked at it in years. I guess I hang onto it for sentimental value more than anything else. It's just another relic of my prehistoric past.
Here's a couple of links from the story:
http://phillytyper.com/
http://typewritersite.blogspot.com/
My father had a phase while he was scavenging yard sales and thrift stores for manual typewriters. He became a bit of a collector and has a couple of dozen. A couple of them are regarded to be pretty rare ones valued pretty highly.
ReplyDeleteHe gave me a couple from his collection. They have appeared onstage in shows I have done a couple of times that required an old typewriter.
My pinky fingers were never strong enough for manual machines, so to this day I use them little when I type. I also look at the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteI can see where some typewriters would be collectors items. I've seen some very nice ones.
My dad had a very cool, old manual typewriter that we used for school projects and papers. I bought a Brother, correctable, one-line-at-a time when I was in college. Silly how I was amazed that I could go back and edit typos before they hit the paper..if I caught them in time.
ReplyDeleteI used an electric typewriter at one of my jobs. Never did like them. I guess I have too heavy a hand, as I wound up with duplicate and skipped letters too often.
I only really learned to touch-type after owning my first computer. I had a typing tutor program and I just practiced. It really has come in handy. I can type with the lights out now, if necessary... ;>
My sister was a secretary years ago. She can type incredibly fast and probably still take shorthand.
ReplyDeleteSssssshhhh, but I also can take shorthand and still use it for notes to myself....
ReplyDeleteI learned to type on a manual and loved the Underwood manuals...hated Royals...when I started working for the insurance company, my typewriter was probably the worst one they could find anywhere...the shift key stuck and I would look up and see all my letters were half caps....
I am pretty proficient at typing and could type well over 100 wpm the last time I was tested....my skills were honed by working my butt off all those years in an insurance office...my hands flew over the keyboard. People used to stop and stare at me...LOL.
(remember, same words over and over again!)
First electric typewriter I typed on was an IBM Selectric in my steno class in high school...that one had the little ball enabling us to type much faster. When I graduated, I typed between 60 and 80 wpm.
Now they call it keyboarding and shorthand is a lost art...no one uses it any longer. Guess I'm obsolete.
In 1986 I took a degree course at Gateway and the teach told us there was a class for executives at Johnson Wax..taking typing so they could be proficient on their computers. I think typing is still useful for computers. I often type in the dark and I do know where the keys are.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to us that actually took 'typing' when we see one of these hunt and peck people....lol...but don't ask me to text on my phone...takes me forever to put a comment in.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone follows me on facebook, you can tell when I'm commenting from my phone...
I took typing in high school. I still look at the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteI learned to type on a computer. Never could do a typing test. I tried one but every time I made a mistake, I instantly hit the back key and retyped it...which counted as two more mistakes and then every letter after that counted as a mistake! I couldn't break that habit...I learned to type on a computer and that's the way I learned to type.
ReplyDeleteI guess as long as it gets the job done, who cares if you use the 'touch method' or 'hunt and peck!'
ReplyDeleteI no longer own any typewriter of any sort and I used to have a couple of electric ones...my computer is the only way to go these days.
But I wonder, do any of you send handwritten notes? I do and I put a note in each and every Christmas card I sent. Guess I'm old-fashioned!
My handwriting is bad. Sometimes I can't read it myself.
ReplyDeleteOrbs, I had a boss whose handwriting was so bad, I thought it was SHORTHAND...was amazed that a man could take shorthand...LOL....I got to the point where I was the one person in the office who could read his writing. Kept me employed!
ReplyDelete