"What the Hell's That Thing?"

[n2doc]

http://now.msn.com/now/0607-student-typewriter.aspx

One student recently exhibited his enthusiasm for all things vintage by taking a typewriter to class. A friend fortunately caught the prank on video, so we can all see their startled classmates look up from their laptops at the deafening sound of antique typing and then laugh at the typewriter's ye olde "ping" bell when it nears the end of the line. Which makes us think, how did people in offices hear each other over all that racket?

[freshwest]

1. Just blanked it out just like people do cellphone ringers in public.

[lob1]

2. When computers were first being used in offices,

many people installed a "typing" program that made the old typewriting sounds. They wanted the boss to hear them working. If there's no noise coming from your office, you must be screwin' off.

[FirstLight]

3. remember

in the olden days when we had "typing" class in Jr High or HS...? yea... I went thru those years in the early 80s and i think our class was the last one of its kind... :/

[drm604]

7. I took typing in school.

It was either in junior high or HS. I don't recall which.

I can touch type because of it which has come in very useful since I work in IT. I've know many programmers over the years who hunt and peck.

Anyone know if they still teach touch typing in school? It's still a useful skill, maybe even more useful than in pre-computer days.

[awoke_in_2003]

8. I took typing...

In jr. High, around 1982. It was suggested for people wanting to take programming (on the mega power TRS-80 . I am still a touch typist to this day

[PDJane]

4. I am old enough to have learned to type on a manual typewriter.

I take Pitman shorthand. I remember motorized keyboards. Don't miss the damn things at all.

I have to admit that I love the nice, quiet keyboards on computers and laptops now; always hated the noise of those things, and I type faster when I don't have to pound the keyboard!

[retrogal]

9. typing classes

I took Gregg shorthand then 3 and a half years of typing classes. In my senior year they brought in electric typewriters. What a mess! The keys got all jumbled up and wasted time trying to get them untangled.
Going to a regular computer keyboard was like learning all over again because I was so used to putting the added pressure on the old typewriters lol
Even though I have always been a fast typist I have children that can type faster than me just using two of their fingers

[PDJane]

12. Junior uses four fingers and his thumbs.........

And just purchased a mechanical keyboard in the hopes that it will last longer than six months! He types, by the way, 180 wpm.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

5. "The Typewriter"

Jerry Lewis in the movie "Who's minding the store"

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. lol. I had a typewriter like that. In a little carry case. lol

[IDemo]

10. Things I remember from my childhood home (I'm just about 55)

- The manual typewriter
- The Rotary dial phone
- A wringer washing machine
- Grandma's Singer treadle sewing machine

[-..__...]

11. More nostalgia...