Observations... On an Old Fashioned Typewriter

In today’s society of technology and science, it is a rare thing to use or even to see anything as prehistoric as an old fashioned typewriter. After all, isn’t the computer so much easier to use? Why would anyone still seek to use something so outdated as a typewriter when a computer is so much better? A computer can surf the internet and download pictures. It can look up anything you want and you can even play games on it and use it to contact people who live miles and miles away, even in foreign countries. A computer has things like spell check and thesaurus built right in so that you never have to look for a dictionary or proofread what you write. You can use a computer to create complex presentations and spreadsheets. You can use it to mix and record music. You can even use a computer to create interesting works of graphic art or to take an already existing picture and add text or change the colors and distort the dimensions. There are a lot of things that a computer can do that a typewriter cannot. But along with the benefits of such technology there are hidden inconveniences waiting to trap you.

If you want to write down your idea for a poem or a story on a computer, you first must turn it on and wait for it to boot up. Then you have to open up your word processing program and create a new document and save it under a certain title in a certain file on your desktop. Then you have to pick the font you want and what size you want. Finally, you type out your idea and use spell check to make sure you got everything just right. You save your document and then you print it off only to realize that spell check has once again failed to catch the missing “ch” from the word catch and that it has let slide your use of “there” instead of the proper “their”. And even if you are using a laptop you have to make sure to charge up the batteries and bring along a power cord just in case. You even have to make sure not to wander too far away in case your internet connection goes out right in the middle of what you are doing.

Whatever happened to the old fashioned typewriter where you could just insert a piece of paper and type? With a typewriter there is no waiting to save and print because as soon as you punch the key the letter appears right on the paper. If you want to add a picture you can simply take out the paper and draw it in, then put it back and continue typing beneath or even around the picture. There is no need to download or search for an image. Having or not having any art talent is beside the point. A typewriter can be taken with you to places that a computer or laptop cannot. You can take it out to the lake or camping or even to your cabin in the woods where there are no power lines without fear of losing battery life. A typewriter stays put and unlike a laptop cannot be knocked off of a desk or table by a curious cat. Not having spell check to police your words can even be a benefit because you remember to pay attention when you type and can better catch your use of the wrong version of a word. A typewriter can even be more fun to play pranks with, like the replace the ink ribbon with a popgun ribbon prank.

Though there are obvious benefits to using both the expensive and technologically advanced computer and the old fashioned and outdated typewriter, there are also inconveniences to them as well. Whether you prefer the science of computers or the classic tried and true typewriter you can be sure to have fun creating a wonderful work of words, no matter what method is used to put ink to page.