Typewriters and Technology

Yesterday, the Smart One and I were having a conversation. We were talking about school, the classes that he is taking and so forth as we drove to bowling. He had a release and at the top it stated "Please print or type." He wanted to know what it meant to type it.

Oy.

How times have changed.

As I tried to explain to him what a typewriter was, he exclaimed, "Oh! I've seen one of those before! I saw one on the history channel."

Great. I really am old.

We talked about how, when I was in high school, the cool class to get into was typewriting! It was a class that you couldn't take until you're sophomore year. We'd all sit in front of our typewriters and learn how to type, have contests on who could type the fastest, especially without making a mistake. We talked about ribbons and white-out.  He laughed.

Today, students have to take computer classes. And they're boring. Why? Because by the time they take the classes, most students already know how to do most of the stuff they're being taught! My 8 year old can type with the best of them, knows how to use the internet and much more. Why,I remember the first time hubby mentioned the internet to me. He wanted it; I thought it was silly. These days, I don't know what I'd do without it! I had to use it just to type this blog!

The Smart One wanted to know if typewriters are still made. To be honest, I wasn't sure, so I Googled it. And this is what I found at Office Depot:

The biggest advantages of the modern-day electronic typewriter and new typewriter ribbons:

• Typewriters
  these days are much more advanced and useful than ever before. LCD
  displays shown clearly in the window of the typewriter show you exactly
  what you've typed so that you no longer have to look at your paper to
  see what's on it. Typewriters today also have automatic correction
  systems, which make errors a thing of the past. Plus, typewriters have
  an era of personalization to them. Imagine sending a VIP a typewritten
  letter—when's the last time they've received one of those?
• One of the biggest advantages of the modern day typewriter
  is the ability to write in several different languages. Unless your
  computer has specialized software or a program installed that you've
  actually learned how to use, it cannot even match this capability. This
  may be especially important for writing letters to clients overseas,
  especially personalized notes that show you care and that they're
  important to you.

So, basically today's typewriters are just another version of a simplified computer. Ha Ha! Even funnier, there are programs that allow you're computer keyboard to sound like a typewriter!

Home Typist adds typewriter sounds to your computer keyboard. The
program is useful for home typists. At every touch of the keyboard
there is the new sound, which makes the process of typing more
interesting, amuses and reduces stress and helps to produce rhythmic
typing.

My, how times have changed; I thought a simple massage from hubby would reduce my stress!