Jokes

Before computers, we all had typewriters!

Apr 19, 2016

Before computers, everyone used typewriters. It was a huge change when we had to go from typing out everything, key by key, on the machine, to typing on a keyboard attached to a computer monitor, then ask a printer to spit it out.

Back in the 60s, 70s and even up until the 90s, typewriters were the norm. It was almost unheard of for someone not to use one, however they disappeared quite quickly once computers took over.

Typewriters had been commercially marketed ever since the 1870s, with the Hansen Writing Ball.

The 1970s and early 1980s were a time of transition for typewriters and word processors. At one point in time, most small-business offices would be completely ‘old-style’ with only typewriters, while large companies and government departments would have changed to the ‘new-style’ with just word processors. The pace of change was so rapid that it was common for typewriting staff to have to learn several new systems. It’s hard to believe there once was a time when typewriting technology changed very little in 80 or 90 years, when now we’re used to rapid change.

Do you remember the instruments you had to use to help you? There was an eraser that was made of hard rubber that contained an abrasive material. Then came correction fluid which dried so it could be typed over.

The need for any sort of correction fluid or method at all changed when the IBM Electronic Typewriter series came along. These machines used a separate correction ribbon that could automatically backspace any errors and type over it.

By the time the 90s rolled around, businesses had changed to computers to do word processing. Nowadays almost no one except for collectors uses the once marvellous invention. Instead, we type everything we need into Microsoft Word or another program and press print. Sometimes we don’t even need to print it!

My how the world has changed….