The Smith Corona Galaxie XII seems to be an underrated and undervalued portable in the typewriter blogs and  on eBay. This model is my first typewriter I got in a thrift store several years ago when I initially caught the typewriter bug but was too young and impaitient to learn to use. Overall it is a solid, sturdy machine with crisp typing action and a number of features not available on ultra portables that seem to have more popularity, at least online. Because of it's low cost on eBay and Goodwill, it is a great typewriter to buy if you want a solid writing tool. They are also aesthetically pleasing, especially if you like the 1960s Smith Corona portable body style.

Setting up paper is simple enough and the margins are easy to set, and it has a "rabbit ear" paper rest that works quite well. The Galaxie XII has options for single double, or even triple spacing. It also features a two color ribbon selector. It also has touch adjustments for low, medium, and high, which do make a difference (apparently the effectiveness of the touch selector isn't as reliable on other models). It also has tab settings and a covenient tab bar at the top of the keyboard. The power space is another feature, although I do not use it that often. One really great feature is the long and ergonomic carriage return lever. Another novel feature that may be of limited use now is the changeable type; the number one key and plus/minus keys can be changed.

The Galaxie XII does have a few minor issues: the key spacing is just slightly too wide and my fingers fall into the gaps when I type quickly. The design of the ribbon cover makes it difficult to see into the printing area, so you can only see the few letters you have just typed and not the preceding line. The size and weight can be a drawback depending on your preferences. I find it comfortable for lap typing, and it's easily luggable with the metal case.

The Galaxie XII is not as "sexy" a machine as some of the other 60s portables with their collector reputation, but it is a very practical typewriter if you want to use it for serious writing.