29 Dec
2005
29 Dec
'05
8:34 p.m.
On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 19:11:55 -0800
"Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
On 12/29/2005 at 8:17 PM John Allain wrote:
And these days, Selectrics aren't expensive either. It's a sad
state of affairs, because I remember how much I admired and
wanted one of those expensive things back when I was young. At
an auction I went to within the last year I bought one, I believe
for $3 or so. The other people at the auction acted like I was
nuts for wanting it (the same way they always get when I buy
computers-that-can't-possibly-run-Windows-XP.) The only
competition in the bidding for choice items on that table (a
table full of typewriters) was for a few of the newest electronic
typewriter/word processor machines.
There's really nothing else to compare to the immediacy of using
a typewriter. These days everything written is transferred into
an electronic ether, to possibly be printed someday, more likely
to just disappear. It's a very 'real' experience to type a page
of thoughts direct to a piece of paper. And it is something that
many people no longer experience.
You know the entire outer shell drops away with
two lever pulls, right?
Yup, I've been that far.
I've removed the main drive engine from a
Selectric (where the
belt passes) and would say it's worth the effort (not much effort)
compared to the incomprehensible geometry of it's lever upon
lever system for translating key to typehead. Aside: someday
I would like to hear said system described by someone. I've
found it fascinating.
It's that part about pulling the driveshaft that scares me. I think of all
of those little springs that are just waiting to go off if I make one false
move and I break out in a cold sweat. Maybe if I had a step-by-step list
of instructions, I wouldn't be so shy. Belts aren't expensive at all.