tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post9009465218419537542..comments2024-03-28T15:01:21.285-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Computers? They're Not My "Type"Leigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-22897925166290443882012-02-06T12:17:57.801-05:002012-02-06T12:17:57.801-05:00I learned to type on a manual my uncle had owned. ...I learned to type on a manual my uncle had owned. It was light blue and very compact. My uncle said I had to share it with my sister. I think I let her type a couple of times, but it stayed in my bedroom and she had to get my permission before she used it. I remember pounding on those keys until my fingers were sore. I don't miss that feeling, but I covet the time I spent one-on-one with the machine who recorded my thoughts. Great article! Thanks for the memories you brought back to me.Deborah Elliott-Uptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00847049319243268520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-52884972160378436672012-02-05T11:15:43.869-05:002012-02-05T11:15:43.869-05:00Earl,
Ah yes, the IBM selectric. One could even...Earl,<br /><br />Ah yes, the IBM selectric. One could even change the font by replacing one golf ball with another. I never used one, but they were the latest technology where I worked. If I recall they were relatively quiet.Herschel Cozinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097703750150309319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-52368694998008934142012-02-05T09:52:22.075-05:002012-02-05T09:52:22.075-05:00Herschel, you brought back a lot of memories. Whil...Herschel, you brought back a lot of memories. While in high school, I bought my first typewriter - an Underwood portable in a metal case, about the size of a small laptop today, but thicker. The price was $29. I paid $5 down and $2 a week. After high school, I worked as a stenographer for the B&O RR where I pounded away 8 hours a day on Royals and Underwoods with as many as 12 carbon copies. I gasped in amazement when my wife brought home an IBM Selectric. Remember "golf ball" type gizmos? Ah, the good old days. Warm memories, but thank DOS they're gone.Earl Staggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13349667172813175960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-53902076321617576462012-02-05T09:04:48.636-05:002012-02-05T09:04:48.636-05:00John,
What you need, sir, is a young relative suc...John,<br /><br />What you need, sir, is a young relative such as a grandchild, niece or nephew to take pity on you and teach you the ways of the electronic age.Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-48125375444028263632012-02-05T07:48:00.670-05:002012-02-05T07:48:00.670-05:00I started on a Smith Corona portable typewriter, w...I started on a Smith Corona portable typewriter, what I used for a great many years. Wasn't until my kids got their Apple and taught me Appleworks that I switched.<br /><br />Jacqueline Seewald<br />THE TRUTH SLEUTH<br />THE INFERNO COLLECTION<br />THE DROWNING POOLJacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-28709742980428915702012-02-04T17:33:27.003-05:002012-02-04T17:33:27.003-05:00I had an old Royal, kept it for years, also a Smit...I had an old Royal, kept it for years, also a Smith Corona electric and the little portable Olivetti Lettera 22, which I took to Africa when I joined the Peace Corps in the Sixties--6 pounds was considered light in those days. And guys, I hate to say it, but I remember BEFORE whiteout. You had to discard the page and all the carbon copies (I remember doing as many as nine) every time you made a typo.Elizabeth Zelvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13944424094949207841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-84564620371129524282012-02-04T16:28:41.999-05:002012-02-04T16:28:41.999-05:00Louis and all,
The more you guys extol the virtue...Louis and all,<br /><br />The more you guys extol the virtues of Mac, the more interested I become. I bought my current HP just a few months ago and went through hell transferring all the data, etc. from my old one. I'm not ready to go through that again for awhile.Herschel Cozinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097703750150309319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-34332105451183694052012-02-04T15:29:52.396-05:002012-02-04T15:29:52.396-05:00Herschel,
Enjoyed your post. It reminded me of my ...Herschel,<br />Enjoyed your post. It reminded me of my problem going from a manual to an electric typewriter. I had to get used to touching the keys lightly, and it took me a month to get used to not having to push the carriage back.<br /><br />Didn’t have much problem going from typewriter to computer. I think it was because I like tinkering with electronic gadgets. I welcomed the computer, though, like you, I first had to go through all that newfangled stuff. No more whiteout, ribbon changing, and broken keys.<br /><br />My Mac made it easer for me to after years of using a PC. I have some complaints about the 2011 Word for Mac and regret giving up the 2004 version. Maybe Leigh, John, and I can persuade you one day to switch to the Mac.Louis A. Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16563842429688123421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-14643767231015332052012-02-04T12:54:09.218-05:002012-02-04T12:54:09.218-05:00I can relate, I fought giving up the freedom of my...I can relate, I fought giving up the freedom of my portable "Brother" for a stationary desktop. I agree there are way too many choices of styles,fonts and so on and every new version of Windows is like Groundhog Day. Now I only own a laptop. It isn't less confusing, but now if I frustrated with it I can just stick it in a drawer where I don't have to look at it. Sort of a "computer time out".CindyCindy Kerschnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09601626285193990316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-78672515012026916512012-02-04T12:01:24.760-05:002012-02-04T12:01:24.760-05:00Ah, some of us long for the good old days in lots ...Ah, some of us long for the good old days in lots of ways, but I don't really miss having to edit to the exact length on the typed copy, then glue it in place and head out to the copy shop to get a decent print to submit. This was also before the glue stick, so the glue was either Elmer's dripping all over or that nasty old school paste. Thanks for a great article of memories though you left out one of the advantages of computers--they keep my cussing current.Fran Rizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08655783035179620991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-56411734981569490732012-02-04T11:59:09.057-05:002012-02-04T11:59:09.057-05:00As a guy who revises and revicses and revises, I c...As a guy who revises and revicses and revises, I can tell you that one thing I do not miss at all is having to retype half a dozen pages because i changed one line on the first page.<br /><br />Good piece.Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-4859539134045228352012-02-04T11:02:55.823-05:002012-02-04T11:02:55.823-05:00Despite my ongoing fight with this thing, John, I&...Despite my ongoing fight with this thing, John, I'm with you. I really don't miss my typewriter, (which was a Remington actually).Herschel Cozinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097703750150309319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-56450733116883660082012-02-04T11:02:09.719-05:002012-02-04T11:02:09.719-05:00Herschel, I enjoyed this. We still have a couple o...Herschel, I enjoyed this. We still have a couple of typewriters somewhere in the house. Yes, dealing with typos was a pain, but I'm convinced we made fewer of them because the speed of typing matched the speed of our thought processes.<br />Not true of computers. One woman's opinion, anyway.Anita Pagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06542864159416870373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-90216135670591972462012-02-04T10:58:09.591-05:002012-02-04T10:58:09.591-05:00That IS your old typewriter--I drove out to Long I...That IS your old typewriter--I drove out to Long Island and took a picture of the one they dug up. (Just kiddin'.)<br /><br />My wife used to have a Royal, which worked better than my Underwood did but it only weighed about half as much. By the way, she just walked in and told me she'd heard on NPR this morning that the first electric typewriter (Smith Corona?) came out on this day in 1957.<br /><br />As much editing and rewriting as I do now, I can't imagine not being able to cut, paste, copy, etc. Better that those days are long gone.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-14718345271232204162012-02-04T10:43:52.841-05:002012-02-04T10:43:52.841-05:00My post is a typical example of my problem with co...My post is a typical example of my problem with computers. Believe me, I did give myself a name, but this infernal gadget refused to acknowledge it!Herschel Cozinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097703750150309319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-16345377542447435982012-02-04T10:39:41.453-05:002012-02-04T10:39:41.453-05:00John,
Thanks for all your work in putting this to...John,<br /><br />Thanks for all your work in putting this together. I couldn't have done it without you. Where did you find that typewriter? It looks just like the one I had, escept yours is in better condition.Herschel Cozinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097703750150309319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-78502264591898907632012-02-04T10:23:40.584-05:002012-02-04T10:23:40.584-05:00Herschel and Janice, I too used an Underwood--I wr...Herschel and Janice, I too used an Underwood--I wrote dozens and dozens of stories on that thing, and used gallons of Whiteout. I have no idea where it is now--probably in one of our back closets. Good riddance.<br /><br />Great column, Herschel!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-21134854705534933902012-02-04T08:47:04.814-05:002012-02-04T08:47:04.814-05:00Love the picture which reminds me of my old Underw...Love the picture which reminds me of my old Underwood - made right down the road from where we lived in Hartford.<br />But, I must say unlamented- I was a lousy typist and at least with the computer, one is spared the old white out liquid for corrections.Janicenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-60641425480124974552012-02-04T03:50:15.670-05:002012-02-04T03:50:15.670-05:00D'accord, John. The Mac makes a huge differenc...D'accord, John. The Mac makes a huge difference except that… MS Word for the Mac still comes from Bill Gates. (sigh) I use the 2004 version because I can never find any damn menu I need in the newer Microsoft Words. Of course you can download the free versions of NeoOffice, LibreOffice, OpenOffice, or even IBM's Symphony. I miss the simple original MacWrite.<br /><br />Good article Herschel!Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-54360585721088983812012-02-04T00:30:23.918-05:002012-02-04T00:30:23.918-05:00Herschel, one of these days I'll talk you into...Herschel, one of these days I'll talk you into switching from Windows to Apple, after which you'll be so pleased you'll forget you ever knew how to spell "typewriter." Or maybe not . . .John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.com