Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

I was typing up a letter earlier on my late-mother's Imperial "Good Companion" typewriter from 1940 when I started thinking about what other people of my age use?

Has everybody really switched to computers and printers, or are there still a good number of us left who use typewriters for our writing needs?

I have appalling shorthand, which is only readable by me and sometimes even I cannot make head-nor-tail of it, so typed words are the only way I can transmit messages to people of whom I cannot/do not wish to verbally speak to.

I do send the occasional email, but 97% of the time I simply type what I need to say on the Imperial and post it off in the mail.

Apart from everything else, typewriters are much less demanding machines than printers. I type on average 2-3 letters every week and it was only last week that I needed to change the ribbon in my typewriter. The last time I changed it was in 2002. Yes, 2002.

Try getting 11 years from an ink cartridge. No, I thought not.

I'm not discriminating against computers and printers, as they do serve a very valid purpose when it comes to images et cetera, however when it comes to just plain letters, I cannot see how computers are any better, unless of course you wish to print multiple copies of the same document.

Please discuss...

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

You have left out an item which is equally as good as a PC or T/W Jim, the word processor, a wonderful piece of kit, I recently threw our golf ball in the dustbin and it worked.
I use cartridge in my printer.

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

Word processor? What is that again? My mind has gone blank.

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

Give me the good old Imperial typewriter for typing letters. I also had a little portable typewriter at one time.

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

I remember using a typewriter many years ago, mainly for when I was at University and with them came a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, once you have typed something, its more-or-less permanent. You can't edit your text after you have typed something. You can't spell-check or have a Thesaurus or check your grammar as you type. You can't change/alter typeface/font/colour unless you have an expensive model. The typed letter quality isn't up to printer quality. You can't save/load your work. Inserting diagrams is a real pain. Give me a computer any day.

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

Back in 1964 just before I turned 15 my mum and dad sent me to a private Commerical College to learn how to type, learn shorthand and office studies, as they were then called.

I learned how to touch type on Imperials, Remingtons and other old sit-up-and-beg typewriters of the day and my word, they were hard work, but I got my qualifications, got a job with a firm of Solicitors and so my career as a secretary was born.

In those days, you HAD to be able to spell correctly, otherwise you didn't get a job - simple as - because we were not allowed to alter any document, be it a Will, Conveyance or any other legal paper, otherwise it would be invalid in a court of law, and there was no Tippex in those days, nor would it have been allowed.

Remember the day I went to work one day to find a cyclops sat on my desk at the side of my electric typewriter. This was before we were connected to the internet and I had to learn how to use the infernal contraption in DOS. Don't ask!

Anyway, top and tail of it was, it took me a while to move from typewriter to keyboard but I managed eventually because I had to, but I believe lurking under my stairs is a portable manual typewriter which I've not seen or used in years.

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

Ah, but does your typewriter remember what you wrote and enable you to use bits of the text again?

The great thing about using a computer for typing is that it remembers everything you wrote so you can reuse it, no need to keep typing your address, the date or "Yours faithfully", no need to remember an address, no need to do calculations to centre a heading. No need for untidy corrections or any chance of spelling mistakes.

Actually you don't even need to sign a letter because you can scan your signature in and let the Word Processor to it for you - not something you would need very often but when you write 200 letters to your club members you can personalise each letter automatically and sign it and I doubt anyone would even realise that it was not personally signed when you use a modern laser printer.

I can think of absolutely no reason for going back to a typewriter when my computer(s) and network printer is always on and ready to go instantly with letterheads and commonly used text built in or available at a keystroke.

Not only that with cloud computing such as Dropbox or Google Drive I can even revise or complete a document from any computer or mobile phone anywhere in the world.

No I am not going to start lugging a typewriter, no matter how portable, around with me ever again even if the ribbon does last 11 years.

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

Ah, that's taken me back a bit , messy fingers off the ribbon after changing it

Although I have a fondness for the old typewriter (I can still hear the multitude of carriage returns being made in the classroom!), I do prefer the computer purely due to ease of access to prior material I've typed and stored. I also tend to email rather than write postable letters: it's quicker and uses no ink at all

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

I absolutely adore my laptop and printer, using them I can write a letter, change my mind and move bits around, add pictures and check my spelling. Make borders and pretty papers. Select a type face and format the size of the letters so my friend who has eye problems can read it easily. Couldn't do any of that with a type writer.

Had to buy a stamp yesterday nearly had a fit at the cost, emails are free and I even prefer ecards to paper cards these days unless someone has hand made one then I appreciate the time and effort.

Re: Ink Cartridge or Ribbon?

..... and before Tippex, there was a bottle of pink stuff that smelt AMAZING .....

(and no wonder women of a certain age have such painful fingers after those heavy old typewriters, I learned on an Underwood.)