I too have an "early features" model. Yours is in much better condition than mine. It's beautiful. Mine is not suited for long typing sessions yet it's fun to use AND portable. I use it for poems and letters. I love your multi-colored keys. I wonder if the that's the original colors? 

Nice find! 

igotztowrite wrote:

I love your multi-colored keys. I wonder if the that's the original colors?

Coloured, or discoloured? They don't match the typical patterns used to teach touch typing, so it seems less likely that the colouring was intentional as opposed to an effect of staining and aging. It would be nice to know either way.

As for the machine itself, I can understand a manufacturer releasing a small production run as part of a trial to gauge public acceptance, but I'd be surprised if any manufacturer would try to sell "experimental" models. Along those lines, I wonder just how 'rare' these early models really are when at least three members here (and there could be more) own one? 
 

Actually, I had two. Gifted one. I don't consider them rare. I had fun "seeking" this model for its historical significance. In the sea of these models, it was nice to find the earlier ones. I believe there were 500k-600k made? 

typeset wrote:

Any suggestions on how to get the paper to feed?

Most likely it's the feed rollers. Have you had a look at them? They could be flattened, or cracked, or both. If the platen itself is super smooth that would be a problem too (cleaning it with rubber rejuvenator would help). Less likely, but possible, it could be an issue with the paper feed tray, so check its operation using the paper release. There are a number of other scenarios, but those are the typical issues with a machine its age.
 

Perhaps the 500K-600K was for the Entire Model #1 production? That number is stuck in my head. Is there any production guideline for considering a machine rare?