Selling typewriters (2)

Some more typewriter adverts, from public domain sources.

Changing a calculator ribbon

Time to change another ribbon, however this time not on a typewriter. The ribbon being changed is on my big mains powered Silver-Reed 1250PD calculator which has a built-in printer. This was a fairly easy job, the ribbon and it's spools being very similar to the type used on typewriters, though a bit smaller. The calculator now produces clean and crisp results in both black and red (for negative values) - the latter will be more handy if i do my finances on it!

Showcase (9) : Silver-Reed Silverette

This was one of the early additions to the collection and the first of a number of similar machines built by Silver Seiko of Japan. The Silver-Reed Silverette is a neat portable typewriter in a pleasing black finish. The keys are all (apart from one which i assume must be a replacement) yellowed by something - hopefully just age!

The typewriter works pretty well. Its a basic typewriter without a colour selector or a number 1 key. It does have a bulletpoint key though and a few fractions.

Why i like typewriters (2) : The presence

Continuing the musings about why i like typewriters, there is a wonderful physical presence about them and of course their output. In a world in danger of slipping down the metaverse plughole, you can't beat the tactile feedback you get from typewriters. Everything has a purpose and interacts with the real world be it the scale to set your margins or the ribbon colour selector or any of the other controls and levers. It changes the typewriter and how it works and reacts.

Then you press a key to type a letter and it results in something you can hold and touch, a creation in the real world. Something to be treasured, or thrown away as it contains so many typos.

Mag Card video

The IBM Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter, which merged the electric typewriter with data storage was the first system marketed as a word processor. To show how a later version of this system works here is part of an IBM training video on the Mag Card II. If nothing else it is a fascinating look at how office work has evolved since the early 1970s.