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Tiny Brontosaurus posted:Yup no condescension there. Dude, calm down just a bit. Like others said, I wasn't trying to be condescending. In fact, I was trying to point out that many people have a romantic notion of manual typewriters and their use by "serious writers" (such as Cormac McCarthy, whose typewriter just sold for like 250k) and that this romantic notion ends up with them owning a boat anchor rather than a useful tool. If you say you have used a manual typewriter before, I believe you, but your original statement suggested that you hadn't. Particularly your apparent unfamiliarity with how an index card might be held in a typewriter (of any kind, not just a manual) and that you said that "learning curve/technical finickyness" was an issue. You also said "is this reasonable to do with a typewriter" and "what would you suggest." I said that it was reasonable/possible and that I suggested an electric. I, too, am a professional writer and I do all my first drafts by hand on an IBM Wheelwriter II. It's not a cache thing, it's just that I get easily distracted if I'm on a computer and my hand hurts something fierce if I try to write for much more than a page by hand. Like Trilineatus said, manual typewriters take a lot of pressure and if you haven't got a ton of hand strength/aren't used to typing on one, they fatigue your hands quickly. I tried to write a chapbook on one (an old Royal HH from the 50s that weighed about as much as an engine block) and had to give up about five pages in because I just got tired. I also have two Brother word processors, one with a lovely green CRT and the other with a green LCD that flips down over the keyboard for transportation. Now those are some seriously obsolete technology. This website, by the way, is awesome if you're interested in the beauty and technical intricacies of typewriters. Edit: new page, so have a picture of one of my Word Processors, the WP6 (not my picture, but it looks the same). That empty space next to the floppy drive is to store your floppies. It's just so well thought out and fun write with. 
Magnus Praeda has a new favorite as of 06:56 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 06:49
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I will also happily admit that my only typewriter is a manual german-made typewriter from the 1940s I found in someone's hippy dad's attic with a weed stash from the seventies still jammed in the traveling case  It makes for good hand painted Christmas card labeling  Still obsolete as gently caress though, I only ever haul it out for art projects like this and it tries to misalign my back and kill me each and every time.
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May 8, 2014 07:13
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Tiny Brontosaurus posted:Yup no condescension there. How dare you people talk down to Tiny Brontosaurus? The typewriter is medicinal.
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May 8, 2014 07:29
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Have you guys tried a full-screen text editor like Dark Room or q10 or whatever? Or barring that, a fatMac? I mean, I'm all for the use of obsolete tech, but using a typewriter seems a mite like an affectation. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that. Also, inkjet/laser printable index cards are available at your local office supply store and alignment will never be a problem since the templates are built into your word processor. I'm saying this as someone who has a record player and an SGI Octane currently hooked up. moller has a new favorite as of 07:38 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 07:32
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Just this evening I used one of these (same color and everything) http://i.imgur.com/TJOSsVG.jpg to type up a bunch of address labels for my wedding invitations. Yes, my handwriting is bad and no, I don't have a printer. A Selectric would have done the job faster and easier, but I did get it done and only hosed up a few times. But typing on to index cards will always be miserable, I did that for a presentation in middle school and once you get halfway through the card it will start to slip and go all crooked and you spend as much time getting the next card in as you do typing.
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May 8, 2014 07:35
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Mescal posted:How dare you people talk down to Tiny Brontosaurus? The typewriter is medicinal. He'd be better off smoking the stuff Trilineatus found.  edit: moller posted:Have you guys tried a full-screen text editor like Dark Room or q10 or whatever? Or barring that, a fatMac? I mean, I'm all for the use of obsolete tech, but using a typewriter seems a mite like an affectation. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that. I'll admit it's an affectation, but yes, I have used WriteRoom and just end up cmd-tab back to chrome. I'm also a bit of a collector, so I've got them sitting around anyway. Might as well use them. Kinda how I feel about my 35mm SLRs (yet more obsolete technology, though the Dorkroom would disagree). Magnus Praeda has a new favorite as of 07:39 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 07:35
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moller posted:Have you guys tried a full-screen text editor like Dark Room or q10 or whatever? Or barring that, a fatMac? I mean, I'm all for the use of obsolete tech, but using a typewriter seems a mite like an affectation. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that. Program it to go "ka-clack ka-clack ka-clack KSSSSHHHWSSHH" while simultaneously acting as style element decor and complementing my plastic frame glasses and then maybe we can talk 
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May 8, 2014 07:37
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moller posted:Have you guys tried a full-screen text editor like Dark Room or q10 or whatever? Or barring that, a fatMac? I mean, I'm all for the use of obsolete tech, but using a typewriter seems a mite like an affectation. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that. Double posting here but I'm on my phone To be fair, he said this was for outlining, and having a stack of cards to arrange as you think is very helpful sometimes. If you can't handwrite them, a typewriter is probably your best bet. But if you're going to do that, just accept that you're best off using an electric indoors and giving up on working in the park. Go for a walk and bring a voice recorder or something if you need to go outside... It may be unfortunate but using a typewriter in public kind of makes you look like a toolbag.
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May 8, 2014 07:40
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Tiny Brontosaurus posted:but I forgot that I automatically don't know anything about my own life because I dared ask a technology question to goons. You are a strange and angry man.
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May 8, 2014 07:44
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I was watching my 1 year old play with his toys today, and realized something. He has a toy smartphone and knows that you swipe the screen and touch it to make it do things since that's what grownups do. He also has a toy rotary phone and just kind of swings it around instead of pretending to dial a number. It's because he has never seen someone use a rotary phone, and probably won't outside of something like old Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry cartoons. Just think about all the outdated tech(especially analog media formats) that kids growing up now will never use. Some stuff like vinyl records and tape cassettes still have a niche market, but there's plenty of stuff that kids these days will never use and maybe never even see. "Kids these days." I just wrote that and now I feel old.  edit: typewriter chat I have a Smith Corona Galaxie (forget the specific model) manual typewriter that I picked up for a few dollars at the thrift store.  It came with a travel suitcase shell that it locks into, and uses a cheap and easy to find ink ribbon. Fun to mess around with, but the weight makes the travel case kind of silly. It weighs a ton. Only use it for goofing off, but man is it satisfying to hear the thcka-thcka-thcka as you type. If you are really belting out them letters it's pretty easy to get several hammers stuck on the page, but otherwise I love it. As others have said, note cards will probably get bent from the roller. As long as you can live with that, go for it. You could also buy an old laptop that doesn't have wifi capability, but early laptops are just as heavy as a typewriter and eat through batteries like crazy. WITCHCRAFT has a new favorite as of 09:41 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 08:54
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I want a typewriter. I have no actual use for it, I just like playing with them. But seriously, seeing my mother type up business reports on her electric typewriter was amazing to me. I used basic ones at school, but seeing her go FASTER than the electric and having to wait for it to catch up, including her corrections, was amazing stuff.
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May 8, 2014 11:02
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Humphreys posted:seeing her go FASTER than the electric and having to wait for it to catch up, including her corrections, was amazing stuff. You can replicate this by using an underpowered windows PC from the late nineties or an android smartphone that got deprecated a couple of years ago. Waiting for an editor to catch up with your keystrokes is the antithesis of fun. moller has a new favorite as of 11:48 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 11:46
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moller posted:You can replicate this by using a slightly underpowered windows PC from the late nineties or an android smartphone that got deprecated a couple of years ago. Waiting for an editor to catch up with your keystrokes is the antithesis of fun. This was around the time of Terminator, and I was a kid of the mindset that 'oh wow, mom is beating the machine!'
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May 8, 2014 11:48
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Pham Nuwen posted:But typing on to index cards will always be miserable, I did that for a presentation in middle school and once you get halfway through the card it will start to slip and go all crooked and you spend as much time getting the next card in as you do typing. Then you need these.
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May 8, 2014 12:31
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Humphreys posted:I want a typewriter. I have no actual use for it, I just like playing with them. My other half learnt to touch-type on a manual typewriter. While it's pretty cool that a full page doc can be perfectly retyped faster than I can scan/OCR/correct it with my spiffy computer, the downside is that keyboards don't last well. I have 4 laptops in the cupboard that all have keyboards that couldn't take the pounding and keys stopped working.
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May 8, 2014 13:06
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spog posted:My other half learnt to touch-type on a manual typewriter. Get a buckling‐spring keyboard like the IBM Model M or the Unicomp reproductions. They’re “hip” these days (which makes them more expensive than they need to be), but they were designed for manual typists.
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May 8, 2014 13:17
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spog posted:My other half learnt to touch-type on a manual typewriter. http://www.staples.com/office/suppl...&KPID=IM1F91378 (they do, of course, make models that don't light up, but where's the fun in that?) I typed my thesis on one of these. Takes a bit to get used to, but once you get going, it's gold. They're dead serious about the "this thing is friggin' invincible" bit--it took way more punishment than any other modern computer keyboard could. It also has the distinction of being the only keyboard on which someone spilled a martini and I was able to keep working with no problem, so there's that.
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May 8, 2014 13:26
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Platystemon posted:Get a buckling‐spring keyboard like the IBM Model M or the Unicomp reproductions. They’re “hip” these days (which makes them more expensive than they need to be), but they were designed for manual typists. This is correct, especially if you like typing on a Selectric. The Model M was designed from the start to have a similar 'feel' to a Selectric to help people transition from typewriters to computers back in the day.
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May 8, 2014 13:30
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We used typewriters at the bank for filling out currency transactions reports and filling in cashiers checks. It was incredibly annoying, but I still love a good IBM Selectric. Now it looks like they do all that on computers. Every few months a guy would come in to service the typewriters. A real-life-honest-to-God typewriter repairman.
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May 8, 2014 15:00
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I just noticed in my B&H catalog today: The Kensington EXPERT MOUSE is still being produced Experts only
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May 8, 2014 16:45
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Dogan posted:I just noticed in my B&H catalog today: The Kensington EXPERT MOUSE is still being produced This is the best goddamn pointing device and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.
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May 8, 2014 16:51
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I had one and it was crap
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May 8, 2014 17:04
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KozmoNaut posted:I had one and it was crap I had one and it was a thing of beauty and wonder. I'm seriously considering getting another one. Still doesn't compare to the Microsoft Explorer Trackball. My grandchildren will hear stories about that majestic piece of hardware.
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May 8, 2014 17:07
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Dogan posted:I just noticed in my B&H catalog today: The Kensington EXPERT MOUSE is still being produced I am using exactly that trackball at work right now and gently caress you it's amazing.
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May 8, 2014 17:16
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Dogan posted:Experts only It's a bit like Pepsodent Professional. You know, for people who brush teeth to make a living.
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May 8, 2014 17:50
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moller posted:Have you guys tried a full-screen text editor like Dark Room or q10 or whatever? Or barring that, a fatMac? I mean, I'm all for the use of obsolete tech, but using a typewriter seems a mite like an affectation. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that. I am offended by the lack of WordPerfect 5.1 in your post. Try alt tabbing to chrome from Dos 6.2 . I respect people want to use old technology (after all i do most photography with a 80 year old Super Ikonta C). But a typewriter seems much less functional than a old-old computer with a simple text editor (and a non multi tasking OS).
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May 8, 2014 18:06
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p-hop posted:thcka-thcka-thcka Speaking of fond memories of old machine sounds, someday I need to hook up my C64 dot matrix printer. Maybe I'll fire up Print Shop Pro or something, make some nice banners for the next birthday party I throw.  I'm that guy, that guy that legitimately loves the horrible, screeching buzzing noise oldschool tractor feed dot matrix printers make. That's the soundtrack to my childhood right there. So many school reports printed off of my old one. Also totally buying a Model M / Unicomp as soon as I can spare the cash. Modern squishy silent keyboards just don't feel right, y'know? I like my typing to sound like the wrath of god!
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May 8, 2014 18:15
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Code Jockey posted:Speaking of fond memories of old machine sounds, someday I need to hook up my C64 dot matrix printer. Maybe I'll fire up Print Shop Pro or something, make some nice banners for the next birthday party I throw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0QHY7S-OtU
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May 8, 2014 18:24
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Code Jockey posted:Speaking of fond memories of old machine sounds, someday I need to hook up my C64 dot matrix printer. Maybe I'll fire up Print Shop Pro or something, make some nice banners for the next birthday party I throw. My day-to-day keyboard at home is some modern one with blue Cherry switches. I also have a Model M (1987 vintage) that I rescued from a bin at uni. The Model M is louder, but it's a very different sound - the M sounds like you're pushing selector buttons on on something industrial from 1955, while the blues are much more rattly and bright. I've been asked to stop playing games in the evening on both of them, though - they both go through walls annoyingly well. I actually prefer the Cherry switches, though - they feel lighter and I think they click at a shallower point. On the other hand, the M makes typing feel like Serious Business - I drag it out for some things just because it's so enjoyable. 
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May 8, 2014 19:23
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Code Jockey posted:Speaking of fond memories of old machine sounds, someday I need to hook up my C64 dot matrix printer. Maybe I'll fire up Print Shop Pro or something, make some nice banners for the next birthday party I throw. I had a service call a few weeks ago on a Printronix line matrix printer dating back to the early 90s. If you think home dot matrix printers are loud you should hear one of these in production. They generate so much noise that they're typically installed in a soundproof enclosure:  Instead of a single x pin head that moves back and forth across the page there is a "hammer bank" that nearly spans the entire width of the page, which then oscillates back and forth as it prints.  I'm not sure if these really qualify as obsolete because AFAIK there isn't a laser or inkjet printer capable of the 2-3000 LPM print speeds they can achieve, at least not at the price point line matrix printers can deliver.
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May 8, 2014 19:42
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Worth noting that printers like those are still some times used with impact triplicate carbon copies are required.
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May 8, 2014 19:53
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GOTTA STAY FAI posted:You could also try the Virtually Indestructible Keyboard: Jesus christ don't recommend people try to type on these things, that's horribly cruel
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May 8, 2014 19:57
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atomicthumbs posted:Jesus christ don't recommend people try to type on these things, that's horribly cruel Yeah, that post gave me nightmarish flashbacks to typing on this thing: 
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May 8, 2014 20:02
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atomicthumbs posted:Jesus christ don't recommend people try to type on these things, that's horribly cruel My mother used to be an extremely loud, hammers of hell typer. I got her one of those and she used it for a few years, now she has a typical consumer grade keyboard and types at a normal noise level. So it's good for something.
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May 8, 2014 20:04
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Code Jockey posted:Speaking of fond memories of old machine sounds, someday I need to hook up my C64 dot matrix printer. Maybe I'll fire up Print Shop Pro or something, make some nice banners for the next birthday party I throw. I have an Okidata 801 sitting in my garage. I need to get my C64 working again.
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May 8, 2014 20:19
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Geoj posted:I had a service call a few weeks ago on a Printronix line matrix printer dating back to the early 90s. If you think home dot matrix printers are loud you should hear one of these in production. They generate so much noise that they're typically installed in a soundproof enclosure: We've got two of these left on campus at work. One is in use because it's apparently the only thing that can talk to the equally ancient machine that schedules all the classes. The other is kept in a storage room for spare parts in case anything happens.
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May 8, 2014 20:40
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Terrible Robot posted:The other is kept in a storage room for spare parts in case anything happens. This is probably a good idea. While looking up prices on parts to quote for the customer, a network interface card was $1800, and the main control PCB was $3500 (they keep having problems with it dropping from their network.) From what I gather this is primarily due to parts scarcity. Needless to say they're considering other options right now.
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May 8, 2014 20:46
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Line Matrix Printing is very much still a thing. It's apparently the go-to tech for printing shipping manifest/invoices in large warehouses and other places where the environment would probably foul up a laser printer in short order. And Printronix is still the biggest player in that market.
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May 8, 2014 21:00
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I once had to clean a laser printer that had been used for a couple of years in a marzipan factory. You can imagine how a combination of fine sugar dust and high heat ends up fairly quickly.
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May 8, 2014 21:21
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Hmmm... let's see... When I was a little lad of 8, my mother bought me the 22-volume World Book Encyclopedia, along with the 2-volume dictionary. I proceeded to read them.. :-)  First computer I used was a TRS-80 Model I with 4K or RAM and Level II BASIC.  First computer I bought with my own money was a Timex/Sinclair 1000. First computer I really shredded on was the C-64. First cell phone? This bugger.  Much later I had a great PDA/smartphone, the Audiovox Thera. With a outboard GPS receiver on my dash, I had excellent results, and the 1X data gave me real-time traffic data to boot. Plus it was a pretty decent smartphone, surfed the web, played music and video... All this in 2002! Verizon screwed me after a couple years because it couldn't do Enhanced 911.  I've still got a attic full of Amigas, mostly 2000s with GVP 68030 cards - 1 with a Video Toaster, another with a Flicker-Fixer, CBM 10-Base-2 network card and external SCSI CD-ROM. The failure of the Amiga to penetrate the market was like the destruction of the Library of Alexandria... set computing back a decade.
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May 8, 2014 21:36
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