The Typewriter That Wanted to be a Computer

Remember these things? Electronic typewriters like this one were once a common sight wherever office equipment of any kind was sold. Eventually, even these things disappeared from store shelves. While there are some being produced today, the sun has basically set on devices of this kind.

(However, a typewriter repairman that I once knew--and who still does a good business refurbishing both manual typewriters and IBM Selectric models--once told me that the typewriter is the one thing that nobody uses anymore, until it's broken. There is some truth to this.)

I suppose that the idea behind marketing a model like this--which almost could have been a general purpose computer--was to provide a device to those who didn't really want the upkeep, maintenance and learning curve associated with an actual computer system. Something like this unit could almost be described as "Microsoft Works in a typewriter body".

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• brother
• industries
• electronic
• word
• processor
• typewriter
• wp-7550j
• inkjet
• use
• demonstrate
• h8/300

[forallpurposesonly]

Do you need to plug in an external monitor just to use it?

[uxwbill]

@forallpurposesonly It does, although I suppose if you knew enough about its user interface to run it "blind", you probably could use the typewriter mode without it.

[blazerlover25]

very interesting video here uxbill but after watching those lines on the monitor go round and round and round i felt like i was on an endless rollercoaster and was about to toss up the honeybun i just ate sheesh wheres the warning that watching this video might cause due dizziness and if affected dont eat while watching it? great now my room is spinning lol

[uxwbill]

@blazerlover25 The consumption of honey buns or other food or drink while watching any uxwbill production is not recommended. :-)

In all seriousness, I have added a warning to the video. Thanks for the heads up.

[andruha11234]

how fast can you type? That looked pretty damn fast! (I'm at about 50wpm)

[uxwbill]

@andruha11234 On average, about 45-65. I've been up to 90 or so at best.

[uxwbill]

@drp0425 Yes it is.

[vwestlife]

@joshua25fm As long as paperwork still involves actual paper, typewriters will still be popular in clerical offices, for filling out multi-part forms and making labels. In fact I just had to get a new typewriter for one of the secretaries where I work, because she finally wore out her 1989 IBM Wheelwriter.

[ThePhoneUpdate]

I have an old Cannon StarWriter 30(?) kicking around somewhere, really nice machine and I even still have a few of the little ink cassettes for it!

[Rayburn96]

Awesome video. I had one that my dad used for a long time that he gave me. It was a little older I believe though. The monitor was a monochrome display of course, only except the color was amber and not white. The UI was different though. And everything had to be loaded from a disk, the thesaurus, spreadsheet, everything. Unfortunately, the spreadsheet and thesaurus disks got accidentally formatted. I typed a journal on it for awhile. I wish I still had it. :(

[zonemad96]

these little things are very cool im hopeing i can pick one up some where sometime i saw a monitor for one at a little junk shop and it was 40 dollars bwahaha like that will ever happen but still these things are very cool

[727JeffN]

Cool little unit!

[HappyDiscoDeath]

@uxwbill I have one too, and quite frankly, I freaking love it.

[JDMowerGuy1998]

thats the first time i saw on of those