How much did an IBM Selectric cost?
It cost about $3,000 in today's dollars and feature a replaceable type ball that improved typing speeds immensely. Unlike other typewriters, which struck the paper with hammers, it used golf ball-like type heads embossed with a full set of alphanumeric characters.
When did the IBM electric typewriter come out?
1935 The IBM Electric Typewriter, Model 01 (Improved), is introduced. Customer acceptance soon makes it the first successful electric typewriter in the United States.
When did IBM stop making the Selectric typewriter?
1986The Selectric typewriter was discontinued in 1986 after 25 years of success. Later this month, IBM will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Selectric typewriter.
Which Selectric is best?
Selectric II are the one with the best keycaps.
Do they still make IBM Selectric typewriters?
The final model, the Selectric III, was sold in the 1980s with more advanced word processing capabilities and a 96-character printing element. But as personal computers and daisy-wheel printers began to dominate, the Selectric brand was retired in 1986.
Are old electric typewriters worth anything?
Early Underwood models can sell for more than $1,000, with examples from the 1920s bringing up to $500 and 1930s, $300-400. The Underwood No. 5 Typewriter page lists serial numbers and production information about the typewriters. Later examples sell for $50-75, as shown in online auctions like eBay.
What font was an IBM Selectric?
(A monospaced "Typewriter Font", in which all characters occupied four units, was available for brief imitations of conventional typed text.)
Is there a modern typewriter?
Meet Flowo, a typewriter designed for the 21st century. A purpose-built machine that's designed just for writing and editing, Flowo comes with a qwerty keyboard and a cylindrical screen on the top that automatically scrolls as you type.
How much does an IBM Selectric weigh?
Product informationProduct Dimensions22 x 15 x 7 inchesItem Weight48 poundsASINB001RI5AKYItem model numberSelectric IIICustomer Reviews2.0 out of 5 stars 7 ratings 2.0 out of 5 stars4 more rows
How do you clean an electric typewriter?
Warm water and a drop of dish detergent are great for removing years of built-up grime. Simply add a drop of dish detergent to a cleaning cloth and wet the cloth very lightly with warm water. Gently wipe all surfaces of the typewriter with the cloth.
Who invented the Selectric typewriter?
Thomas Watson Jr. called it “the most totally distinct invention we've ever made as a company.” The type balI worked by revolving and tilting—according to the direction of a sophisticated mechanism—as it moved across the page. Each character had a binary code, one for tilt and one for rotate.
How do I stop my typewriter key from sticking?
What we DO, however, recommend is using plain MINERAL SPIRITS. Apply the mineral spirits liberally using a Q-tip along the base of the escapement and sides of the key bars (see image below). Keep applying mineral spirits and press the key often until you feel it loosen up.
Who made the first electric typewriter?
Christopher Latham SholesWilliam Austin BurtHenry MillSamuel W. SouléRasmus Malling‑Ha...Frank Edward McGurrinTypewriter/Inventors
Who invented the IBM Selectric typewriter?
Thomas Watson Jr. called it “the most totally distinct invention we've ever made as a company.” The type balI worked by revolving and tilting—according to the direction of a sophisticated mechanism—as it moved across the page. Each character had a binary code, one for tilt and one for rotate.
What came after the electric typewriter?
Typewriters have largely been replaced and taken over by the keyboard as the preferred, and most used typing device.
Who invented the typewriter in 1700?
Henry MillThe First Patent Came in 1714 The first patent for the typewriter was issued by the early 18th-century inventor, Henry Mill. Mill was an English inventor who named his invention, "Machine for Transcribing Letters."
When was the IBM typewriter republished?
The following is the text of a booklet copyrighted by the IBM Education Department in 1949 and republished by IBM in 1951. The many advantages of the modern IBM Electric Typewriter can be appreciated by reviewing the history of typewriters, the years of research, and the millions of dollars spent on their development.
Why did IBM create the electric typewriter?
IBM has pioneered the development of the Electric Typewriter to provide increased efficiency for the broadening requirements of modern business. IBM continued to set the trend in 1941 by revolutionizing the typewriter industry with the invention of the IBM Executive Electric Typewriter, embodying the IBM spacing principle.
What is the spacing principle of IBM?
The IBM spacing principle gives a new beauty to typing and makes it easy to read.
Why is the appearance of typewritten work improved?
The appearance of the typewritten work is improved because, regardless of the operator's touch, each character strikes the paper evenly and uniformly. The new IBM Electric Typewriter incorporates all the latest developments in electric typewriter engineering.
When was the first typewriter invented?
The first practical typewriter was completed in September, 1867, although the patent was not issued until June, 1868. The man who was responsible for this invention was Christopher Latham Sholes of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The first commercial model was manufactured in 1873 and was mounted on a sewing machine stand.
What are the advantages of an IBM typewriter?
Today's IBM Electric Typewriter, a completely new and modern product, brings to every user the advantages of speed, ease of operation, accuracy, reliability and beauty of work. The typist's versatility is increased because she is able to do all kinds of work, such as stencil writing and multiple copy work, with the minimum amount of effort. The appearance of the typewritten work is improved because, regardless of the operator's touch, each character strikes the paper evenly and uniformly.
What were the major changes in the typewriter industry?
The International Business Machines Corporation was responsible for two of these four major changes in the typewriter industry, namely, Power Operation and Proportional Spacing.
When was the Selectric typewriter invented?
The selectric typewriter. The Selectric typewriter, launched in 1961, was an overnight hit. “Sales of [the Selectric] in the first 30 days exceeded the forecast for six months. We figured in our branch office that we’d sell 50 or 60 and sold 500 to 600,” IBM salesman John Vinlove told USA Today in 1986 for a story about ...
What was the Selectric typewriter?
Less well-known is the Selectric typewriter’s role as one of the first computer terminals. While personal computers, notebook computers and word processing software may have relegated the paper-based typewriter to twentieth-century artifact, the Selectric was the basis for the keyboard input on the revolutionary IBM System/360.
How many Selectric typewriters were sold in 1986?
And by 1986, more than 13 million Selectric typewriters had been sold. For more than 25 years, the Selectric was the typewriter found on most office desks. With 2800 parts, many designed from scratch, the Selectric was a radical departure even for IBM, which had been in the typewriter business since the 1930s and was already a market leader.
What was the first word processor?
With the addition in 1964 of a magnetic tape system for storing characters, the Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter (MT/ST) model became the first, albeit analog, word-processor device. The aesthetic design of the Selectric was the responsibility of Eliot Noyes, an architect and industrial designer who served as consulting design director to IBM ...
Why is the Selectric name Selectric?
Although it is not documented, it is believed that the Selectric name was inspired by adding this changeable typeface selection to an electric typewriter. By making the golf ball interchangeable, the Selectric enabled different fonts, including italics, scientific notation and other languages, to be swapped in.
Where was the Selectric keyboard made?
When prototypes of the Selectric were already being manufactured at IBM’s typewriter plant in Lexington, Kentucky, Bemer reviewed the Selectric typewriter’s specifications. To him, the Selectric would make a natural computer keyboard.
What is IBM 2741 terminal?
A modified version of the Selectric, dubbed the IBM 2741 Terminal, was adapted to plug into the System/360, and enabled a wider range of engineers and researchers to begin talking to and interacting with their computers.
When did IBM discontinue the Selectric typewriter?
The Selectric typewriter was discontinued in 1986 after 25 years of success. IBM.
When did the Selectric typewriter stop?
The Selectric typewriter was discontinued in 1986 after 25 years of success. IBM
How fast can a Selectric type?
According to IBM, expert typists on the Selectric could offer up 90 words per minute, easily besting the standard 50 words per minute those same folks were tallying on other typewriters.
What is the Selectric?
The Selectric has also been tapped as an inspirational predecessor to today's word-processing programs. Users could add different golf balls to the device, allowing them to type with different fonts, in italics, and even in other languages. Magnetic tape, which came to the device in 1964, allowed users to store characters.
Who was the managing editor of Selectric?
CNET News managing editor Jon Skillings was one of those people who benefited from the Selectric. In a 2004 CNET story that noted it had been 175 years since the first typewriter was patented, Skillings thought back to the all the things IBM's Selectric brought to the table.
When did magnetic tape come out?
Magnetic tape, which came to the device in 1964, allowed users to store characters. "The Selectric typewriter, from its design to its functionality, was an innovation leader for its time and revolutionized the way people recorded information," Linda Sanford, senior vice president for Enterprise Transformation at IBM, ...
Impact
Sales
- The Selectric typewriter, launched in 1961, was an overnight hit. Sales of [the Selectric] in the first 30 days exceeded the forecast for six months. We figured in our branch office that wed sell 50 or 60 and sold 500 to 600, IBM salesman John Vinlove told USA Today in 1986 for a story about the typewriters 25th anniversary. The manufacturing facil...
Design
- At the physical heart of the Selectric typewriters innovation was a golf-ball-shaped type head that replaced the conventional typewriters basket of type bars. The design eliminated the bane of rapid typing: jammed type bars. And with no bars to jam, typists speed and productivity soared. The golf ball typing element was designed by an engineering team led by Horace Bud Beattie. The team …
Influence
- One other innovation in the designa changeable typefacewas borrowed from a turn-of-the-century model, the Blickensderfer typewriter. Although it is not documented, it is believed that the Selectric name was inspired by adding this changeable typeface selection to an electric typewriter. By making the golf ball interchangeable, the Selectric enabled different fonts, includin…
Variations
- Less well-known is the Selectric typewriters role as one of the first computer terminals. While personal computers, notebook computers and word processing software may have relegated the paper-based typewriter to twentieth-century artifact, the Selectric was the basis for the keyboard input on the revolutionary IBM System/360. A modified version of the Selectric, dubbed the IBM …
Analysis
- Yet to IBM computer scientist Bob Bemer, the Selectric represented one of the biggest professional failures of my life. Bemer had pioneered the creation of the American Standard Code for Information Interchange, or ASCII, which still defines the alphabet for computers. When prototypes of the Selectric were already being manufactured at IBMs typewriter plant in Lexingt…
Sequel
- In 1971, the Selectric II was released, with sharper corners and squarer lines, as well as new features such as the ability to change pitch from 10 to 12 characters per inch and, starting in 1973, a ribbon to correct mistakes. The final model, the Selectric III, was sold in the 1980s with more advanced word processing capabilities and a 96-character printing element. But as person…