Why, when I was a kid...

[wagegoth]

I learned to type on a manual Underwood. The girls in the secretarial courses (yes, they still gave secretarial courses in high school then, f*** off, you young whippersnappers) had the IBM Selectrics with correction.

And I learned to do bookkeeping using an adding machine, the big manual ones.

Then, memory typewriters. Then word processors. And now PCs and Macs. I am a much happier worker bee now.

[Primer]

Now, if anyone knows where to still find those correction strips (they came in a small flip top box and were small rectangular shaped white strips that you used with a typewriter instead of the liquid stuff) I'd be in great shape.

I don't know about those rectangular strips anymore, but I do use a lot of the "dry line" correction tapes. It's located in the same place that the liquid stuff is. It's great stuff if you are using a typewriter or a ballpoint pen.

BTW, anybody have any idea where I can get an ink ribbon for my manual Royal?

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I don't know about those rectangular strips anymore, but I do use a lot of the "dry line" correction tapes. It's located in the same place that the liquid stuff is. It's great stuff if you are using a typewriter or a ballpoint pen.

BTW, anybody have any idea where I can get an ink ribbon for my manual Royal?

Try here:

http://www.scantracker.com/royal_typewriter_ribbons.htm

Hope you can find the one you need there

BTW, I just found not only the ribbon cartridge for my Brother electric, but also the rectangle cover up sheets too.

[Kiwi]

My class (2001) was the last one in highschool to lean on typewriters, we were given the option of computers but I thought that not being able to backspace would mean I would make faster progress when I was learning to touch type.

It worked, my teacher would not take in a typing assignment with a single mistake on it so you got good FAST with her.

EDIT: we learned on typewriters.... we did not, I repeat did not "lean" on them. (Im sick and hyped up on painkillers so forgive me) haha my typing teacher is turning in her grave right now!

[Misanthropical]

My first crush was on a guy in my typing class, back when I was in Jr. High (or Middle School, as they call it here). I don't think he knew I existed though.

[Ree]

Back in high school, when I took typing, we had timed tests.

We counted the words per minute, and then deducted for errors, and that was our words per minute average.

I would always panic and end up with my fingers on the wrong keys. I also have really small hands and short fingers.

One day, I got -99 WPM on a test.
Gotta be proud.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Back in high school, when I took typing, we had timed tests.

We counted the words per minute, and then deducted for errors, and that was our words per minute average.

I would always panic and end up with my fingers on the wrong keys. I also have really small hands and short fingers.

One day, I got -99 WPM on a test.
Gotta be proud.

We had timed tests as well. My average is around 65 wpm (that's on a good day.)

My GPA for the year was a 97 - and that was Level II (Level I was a B average.)

I'm like fine wine- I improve with age.

[bigjimaz]

I graduated high school in 1971. That year or the year before, the high school replaced all of their old typewriters in the typing class with new ones.

The old ones = Early 1920's Fox manual typewriters. I remember because my grandma had one just like it.

The new ones = Royal manual typewriters

[Racket_Man]

If you guys think typewriters are something, let me tell you about... slide rules.

And yes, I had to use one. I was in the last class at my high school that was required to use slide rules in advanced science courses. Midway through that year, the powers that be decided calculators were more than just a fad and allowed their use. (My chemistry teacher, who was about 104, immediately went on sick leave for the rest of the year -- I don't know if it was related or just a co-incidence.)

heck back when I was in high school in the mid 1970's calculators were still too expensive and just did basic +- */ type math and yes I did have a slide rule for chem and physics clases. I remember one guy had an early RED LED watch and ran the battery out in one day after EVERYONE asked what time it was. but then back then we did all ouyr homework by candle or oil lamp light LOL

[MadMike]

I graduated in '87, and I took typing on an IBM Selectric. My dad had an old manual typewriter, and I had trouble hitting the keys hard enough for it to register.

[cinema guy]

Back at school only girls took typing. I don't think it was even an option for boys.

My dad did have a big old manual typewriter that was old even then, you really had to bang the keys and you could feel it through the floor boards when someone was using it.

[protege]

And I used new electric typewriters (with the correction tape in them) in high school & I graduated in 1990!

We still had them in high school...and I graduated in '94 They were pretty good, and I *hated* typing class. But, at least I got to mess around on the computers (crappy 386s ) later

I still have my father's old Royal electric typewriter somewhere. It's not used much now, since it's a pain to get ribbons. It's probably nearly 30 years old, yet works great.

[Emrld]

I have the typewriter that was my Uncle's when he was in Collage . . .that he gave back to his parents . . .that my Grandfather then would use to type notes, post cards and letters to my sister and I when we were kids.
I have it stored up on a shelf because of the memory value . . .

I can remember reading murder mysteries that were solved because they could tell which typewriter was the one that wrote the fake suicide note . . .they have switched to printers now. (which isn't the same because you don't have the whole the way the preasure of the "b" is on the paper solution.)

[Bloodsoul]

First half of my typing class was on typewriters, than moved onto to computers. Tsk, and here I am a gradaute of '02. XD

[Pezzle]

h I remember one guy had an early RED LED watch and ran the battery out in one day after EVERYONE asked what time it was.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/watches/6a17/

Anything like my watch?

(which has gotten me 2 jobs)