Posted on 12/21/2009 3:58:20 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
My friend Lynn (Major, Retired) could type something like 120/140 WPM (NO mistakes!) on that thing!
They were a dream macine. In fact, I’m going to throw away my current keyboard and ask Husband to wire me & the computer up to the old Selectric, LOL!
“Still easier to type an envelope address on a typewriter, JMHO.”
That seems to be the consensus among those of us who used them. :)
“Never used the correcting feature.”
Finally! An explanation as to why the ‘Talking Heads’ were unintelligible from 1976-80! ;)
“Sure wish I could find a keyboard that had the same touch as a Selectric...”
That’s what I just said!! :)
I’ve still got a working Selectric, a Sperry-made clone, a couple Smith Coronas (1 electric, one manual), and a modern Olivetti. It is still easier to use the Olivetti for a couple envelopes.
“Darn. I really like my Selectric 251.”
Did you come back by flying thru your windshield?
Loved them, too.
Got a red one in college.
Got up to 75-85nwpm on them in High School.
Ha.
My typing teacher gave me a C-, as long as I promised to NEVER come back again...
Is that the one that typed George Bush’s service records?/sarc
When I graduated highschool, I coveted one of those beasts but being of poor means, I drug a used Sears electric typewriter off to college.
5 years later I owned my first computer and a daisywheel printer. The typewriter was left somewhere during the many moves of youth.
I honestly do not miss whiteout, and throwing away whole sheets of typed pages when a better way of phrasing presented itself.
But the selectric was one sexy beast when your life revolved around pounding out ideas on paper in the days of bell bottoms.
“But the selectric was one sexy beast when your life revolved around pounding out ideas on paper in the days of bell bottoms.”
I think that was their ad copy during that era, wasn’t it? ;)
Me too! I used mine to send snotty notes to bureaucrats in small communities that thought they might just be the Ben Nelson of their time. So long old pal!
Love your tagline! Merry Christmas!
Oh, that brings back memories! Only thing was that I went through too many of the correction tapes.
OMGosh, I typed reams of farm news stories on my Selectric. I so enjoyed that thing. This was in the 1990s. My boss still used a manual at that time, kept in ribbons and repair by some Amish guy.
BTW, the Amish now have available PCs — “made for plain people by plain people.” Strictly business. No sound, no games, no internet ;-)
***
LOL
I believe the original papers were typed on a manual; then the “alterations” may have been done on an electric, I think I can tell by the print. Manuals produced a print that was a bit smudgy...then over time the type became “smudgier.” The forgeries though had the crisper look of an electric. I'm guessing it was an IBM Executive. A little different print quality from a Selectric; the employer where I had my only experience with an Executive used it only for very formal correspondence and reports.
I remember temping as a college student. I thought I was hot stuff when I landed jobs where they had a Selectric. And changing the little balls of type, well, don’t tell me I wasn’t up to date and cool!
I used to type newsletters and there was this big thing of white tape to type over if they changed a lot of the text (more than Whiteout could cover attractively). I don’t even know if they make that stuff anymore.
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