Why use typewriters

Please click Accept Cookies to continue to use the site. After the emergence of computers, typewriters might seem like a thing of the past. But there are plenty of writers and die-hard typewriter fans that think that a museum is the last place their beloved writing tools should be.

Have you ever thought about getting a typewriter of your own? Here are 7 reasons why you should give them a try. In some parts of the world, it can be tough to access the Internet or word processing programs like Microsoft Word.

When tech is on the fritz, typewriters can be a real lifesaver. A typewriter is one of the hardiest writing tools out there. Whether its lack of Internet access or a power outage, your typewriter can keep you going through it all. In just a few days of using a typewriter, you might start to see the quality of your work improve. Sure, technology comes with its fair share of tricks, but it also comes with a high price tag.

Not only do computers cost more up front, but more expensive computers can even be designed to break down after a few years. Laptops might be handy, but they can be risky too. This is the place to start. Not only does he have great information about older typewriters and a gallery of his own collection, the links he has to other typewriter sites is massive and a great resource.

Side note: Polt has been online for eons and I love the nice, simple design of the site. The Typosphere. Another fantastic resource, where you can learn about various typewriter groups and forums, type-ins, and World Typewriter Day.

Dan Puls has been selling typewriters for a very long time and has earned the name "Mr. I Dream of Lo-Tech. I didn't know what "typecasting" was until I came across this site.

It's a blog written on a typewriter. You type out the entry then scan the pic and put it online. The pictures on the site are really great. Cambridge Typewriter Store. Tom Furrier owns this typewriters repair and sales shop in Arlington, Mass. Fresh Ribbon. Even if you're not interested in typewriters I'd recommend these sites, for the writing and the design and the personal observations. They're just typing, creating.

Times columnist and author Caitlin Moran appears with a typewriter on the cover of her book Moranthology, seemingly jumping on the retro bandwagon.

But, she explains in a tweet , "someone just brought it to the shoot. I HATE typewriters. I love my laptop. Typewriters may have been largely consigned to history in many countries but in those where electricity supply is erratic, they can be vital.

In Mumbai, India's most populous city, the unmistakable "clack, clack, clack" of typewriters sounds out as professional typists sit in the street outside court houses writing up legal documents.

To Keira Rathbone, the typewriter is a source of art. The London-based artist unlocks a rather different side of the contraption by creating visual art out of characters. Explaining why she loves the form of art, she says: "I think it's the mechanics of it and being able to feel the mechanisms.

It's not like using a computer where it's all a bit of a mystery and covered up. You can see if there's nothing wrong with it straight away It's just fascinating to be able to look at what you're typing.

From afar, she says her art resembles a pen and ink drawing. I feel privileged to get to introduce them to the typewriter for the first time. Typewriters are also very much in demand for period dramas or for plays. Meanwhile, Milton was recently contacted by a production company working on a war-time detective drama. They wanted typewriter lessons for a female secretary actress so she could "appear natural at the desk," he says.