Have You Ever Used A Typewriter?

[alexhoovers94]

I recently found an old Brother electronic Typewriter in our loft and I have been having a go on it. Instead of it having an actuall ribbon it has a little cartridge, ribbon tape. You can type straight onto the paper or type onto the screen for one sentence and then print it.


I have had a few goes with it typing straight onto the paper but I somehow keep making mistakes which is annoying because obviously once it is on paper you can't take it off again (well, not easily).  I think I need to be a little less sloppy and concerntrate more when using the Typewriter over a word processor document on the computer, god, computers are so much easier, I have no idea how people put up with these things!

[this post was last edited: 4/29/2013-14:36]

 

[dysondestijl]

Yup, I have an Olympia manual typewriter, and my granny has a sharp electronic typewriter that is much easier to use
Here is my Olympia:

 

[alexhoovers94]

I would love a manul one!

 

[fan-of-fans]

Yes, I mostly used the Smith Corona Electronic ones. It had a beeper that would beep when you misspelled a word. Then you could erase a letter or the whole word. Also would do underlining and bold words. The little wheels could be changed out to make different fonts, in the same way the old IBMs had the balls with fonts.

One of my Smith Coronas had the little screen, but it never worked right and
eventually put off smoke and a bad odor, so I threw it away.

I also used to have a manual typewriter as a kid that I used to play with. I would click and clack on it all day!

 

[dysonman1]

Learned to type on an Olympia manual in High School, many decades ago. During my senior year in High School, they let me use the IBM Selectric (and eventually, the Memory Selectric in the office). I have a Smith Corona but haven't used it in years.

 

[rainbowd4c]

Years ago I worked as a Payables Specialist and all of our checks were lazer checks and printed off of our accounting program. My printer broke down and we were waiting for our repair man to ge to the office and in the mean time I had a bach of bills I needed to pay. My boss brougth in a typewriter. All I could get out of my mouth was "What the hell is that???"

While I didn't have that many bills to pay that day it did take forever for me to type up 30 checks and stubs.

Up to that point I only managed to work with a typewriter in high school when I had to take a required typing class.

 

[nycwriter]

UM ...

... who HASN'T used a typewriter??

 

[vinvac]

I miss a typewriter...

We typed all of our bank records when I first started. Bonds, CD's, Pass book savings, signature cards, loan docs. parcel agreements....

When I first started we only had one electric, the rest were all manual..

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I have 2 Brother electronic ones.

Although I never use them anymore, they were great. I learned on an IBM Electric when i was a student at Seton. Some had a beautiful crisp type to them. I'll never discard them either.

 

[jfalberti]

I use a typewriter

to type up the title strips for my jukeboxes.  Looks much more professional than hand writing them.

 

[filterboy244]

Actually i havent used a typewriter .ever

 

[kirbyman]

Typewriters/Rule(d)...

I still use an IBM Wheelwriter with memory storage alongside two office computers.
Good for quick memos, etal. Typed for so long my left-handed writing looks like Greek script! I do about 105 wpm & do prefer the computer for versatility, but would never give up my Wheelwriter.

dt/abq

 

[xraytech]

I still use a typewriter from time to time.
I have a 1960s JCPenney Penncrest electric model (rebadged SCM Smith-Corona)

I mostly use mine for addressing envelopes and typing up notes for my church fundraising meetings

 

[electroluxkirby]

I have six IBM typewriters:

Wheelwriter 30 with display and memory
Correcting Selectric II
Correcting Selectric II
Model D Standard
Model D Executive
Model 85 Electronic

I took typing in high school. I actually flunked the first year, because I couldn't learn the keyboard with looking at the keys. I bought a Selectric III and covered the key tops with black electrical tape, and bought a touch typing course on records from Smith Corona and learned how to type during summer vacation I would practice those records every day for at least four hours. The teacher was shocked when I told her what happened.

 

[super-sweeper]

Do I use a Typewriter?

<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">At least once per week!</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">I ALWAYS use a typewriter for easily completing homework assignments, no screen to stare at, $40 ink cartridges or software junk for me! The typewriter Is a marvelously simple labor-saving apparatus, with the press of a key the letter is one the paper!</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">I own [7] Typewriters </span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">-------------------</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">ELECTRIC/ELECTRONIC</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">-------------------</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">SMITH-CORONA ELECTRA 220</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">SMITH-CRORONA PWP [PERSONAL WORD PROCESSER]</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">BROTHR DESKTOP PUBLISHER [More of a printer, As it takes ink cartridges and has a floppy diskette slot, you can even upload pictures!]</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">TOWA EX66 [WITH MEMORY AND ERASE FUNCTIONS]</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">SMITH-CORONA ENTERPRISE XT</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">------</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">MANUAL</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">------</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">ROYAL MERCURY PORTABLE</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">UNDERWOOD [1955]</span>


<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;"> </span>

 

[electroluxkirby]

TOWA EX66

Can you post some pics of it?

 

[super-sweeper]

I Can...

And Gladly will, It's however at another home, and may take time to get the pictures.


Will post here ASAP, though.


 


It came in white (Unfortunately faded to a "Burnt" yellow) and black, with an epic red LED that tells you where the typing head is on the paper.


 


-Alex.


 

 

[nycwriter]

IBM Selectric III Correctible ...

... use it at least once a week, mostly to fill out forms and address envelopes.

SO much quicker for envelopes than pissing around with the laser printer.

 

[sleepdoc]

Typing

I've always used a computerized word processor for actual composition, and I'm a pretty quick and accurate typist on a computer. I took a typing course during a summer program after fifth grade that was taught using Apple II computers, so I started typing prety early in life and became proficient pretty quickly. My great aunt had an Underwood manual typewriter that I used to play with. I am absolutely worthless on one of those machines. The skill is so different that I'm not only innacurate and slow (clumsy, in other words), but many of my keystrokes (I doubt that was the contemporary term) aren't forceful enough to even produce the character on the page. My great aunt, who never touched a computer, could type astoundingly fast on that thing and very seldomly make a mistake. I think if anyone on this site who is too young to ever have seen or used an antique typewriter ever gets a chance to try on out, he should give it a shot - it's really eye-opening to be humbled by a machine that we probably look upon as quaint.

 

[nycwriter]

Agreed, Patrick ...

... those of us who were born post-1965 were likely taught as "touch typists" -- meaning on an electric typewriter.

Typing on a manual typewriter required a completely different skill; you had to be much more foreceful on the keys. I have no idea how women in the '40s and '50s typed so fast on those darn things.

I always felt that learning on an electric typewriter in the '70s was somehow "cheating". LOL.

 

[chuffle]

Still use one...

...for addressing envelopes and filling out forms. Looks so much nicer than my printing.

Took typing in high school, and used the skill heavily in college. I've never used an electric typewriter, but have found that switching from computer keyboard to the manual typewriter requires a change in thought (partly because my keyboarding skills have grown so sloppy over the years).

Here at the house, I use a Smith-Corona Sterling, the typewriter that my father bought in the 1960s.

Joe

 

[chuffle]

...and...

...my father's Underwood that he brought home when the mines closed (he managed the supply house) back in the late 60s. This machine now sits on my computer desk - quite a contrast to the PC.

Joe

 

[countryguy]

When I was in grade 9 I took typing class and learned to type on a manual typewriter. In grade 10 typing we got to use electric typewriters. My parents bought me the typewriter in the pic for a Christmas present. I did all of my highschool and university assignments on that typewriter which I still have.

Gary

 

[electroluxkirby]

My mother's boss learned to type in the military, and he could type 80-90 wpm on a manual typewriter. It was fascinating to watch him type, you could barely see the typebars move. I'm lucky if I can 5 wpm on a manual typewriter.

 

[petek]

I have a few vintage typewriters both manual and electric but this one is my favorite being the first electric portable on the market back in 1957. I imagine it was pretty pricey at the time.
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[petek]

Here's an article and ad for the 5TE



http://www.portabletypewriters.co.uk/corona_electric.htm

 

[sonnyndad]

Retro Homework

I use a Smith Corona Coronet Super 12 for all my English homework assignments.

 

[kirby505]

I still have a manual one I use

 

[hoover1]

I have...

1950's Royal Quite De'lux
1960's Smith Corona Sterling
1970's Smith Corona electric
1980's IBM electric with the ball (not sure what model)