1 - brozzy
- New Member
Offline - From: British Columbia
- Registered: 07-3-2021
- Posts: 17
Features You Can Not Do Without
As I learn more about typewriters, I am discovering that some writers do not have "features" that some might consider essential. For this post, I am talking about the keyboard area. I compiled this short list of keys that either have to be there or should be there:
Shift lock (is it possible that some machines do not have this key?)
Tab, set, clear (I was amazed to learn that very portable writers may not have this feature)
Margin release
Ribbon colour
Touch selector (from what I read, this feature is often the first thing to break or is otherwise undetectable. Does anybody love it?)
A numeral One 1 key ( I do remember the days of using the lower case l )
Three keys I am really liking on my modern Smith-Coronas:
Half-space
Power-space
De-Jam key
What do people consider are essential keys, and what keys do you like on your writers and look for in possible new acquisitions?
- overwood
- Speed Champion
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- From: Midwest
- Registered: 10-11-2018
- Posts: 285
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
I consider the "e" key essential. Its really hard to get through a sentence without using at least one.
I find fractional keys superfluous and would gladly trade mine for an exclamation mark! I like exclamation marks so much I sometimes use 3!!! (although I do find the method for overcoming their absence rather quaint and charming)
- Phil_F_NM
- Speed Champion
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- From: Mid-Atlantic region
- Registered: 16-4-2020
- Posts: 267
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
I don't need a keyboard set tabulator, it's convenient but the features that a Smith Corona Silent has, are perfectly fine. That's a relatively basic machine which is an incredibly reliable workhorse. Nothing more needed.
Phil Forrest
- Maschinengeschrieben
- Touch Typist
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- From: Germany
- Registered: 09-7-2015
- Posts: 119
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
Many of those features you listed (like margin release or shift lock) I consider standard on most typewriters, so I wont mention anything like that here.
- Set tabulator without an all-tab-clear.
- Index release (often called variable line spacer) to make permanent adjustment to indexing. Sometimes missing on some portables, but even larger machines might not have one.
- Margin adjustment in the front or on top of a machine (cant stand the old style back-margins).
- Auto carriage return on electrics. I mean whats the point of using an electric then?
- Paper support (quite a few machines dont have one)
- Line finder
- Proper carriage return lever. Its another reason I switched from my Hermes baby to the Splendid 99 for portable writing.
- Back space on the RIGHT on the keyboard, Margin release on the LEFT.
- Easily removable ribbon cover.
Learned watchmaker and office machine enthusiast from Germany.
- Laurenz van Gaalen
- Speed Champion
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- From: The Netherlands
- Registered: 20-7-2019
- Posts: 407
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
I have a strong preference for a keyboard in my own language (Dutch), especially because of the diacritics.
- M. Höhne
- Key Master
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- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 637
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
Maschinengeschrieben wrote:
.... snip ....
- Auto carriage return on electrics. I mean whats the point of using an electric then?
.... snip ..
Really??
- Maschinengeschrieben
- Touch Typist
Offline
- From: Germany
- Registered: 09-7-2015
- Posts: 119
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
Really??
If i decide to use a electric instead of a manual (usually when I have to do a lot of writing), I want the powered carriage return. Its part of the experience. Same with power shift. Otherwise I would go with the manual to beginn with. Go big or go home.
Learned watchmaker and office machine enthusiast from Germany.
- Uwe
- Moderator
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,410
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
I would assume the list really depends on what your typewriter needs are. If you just need one to type text you won't miss a number of features that would seem essential for someone who creates tables or formatted letters on a regular basis.
My needs for a typewriter are extremely simple, and I'm quite comfortable with those bare-bones, budget, depression-era models that only are only fitted with true necessities. Not even a missing shift-lock is an issue (for the rare times that all-caps is required I don't mind holding down a shift key for those few words).
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- M. Höhne
- Key Master
Offline
- From: Maine
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 637
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
My surprise was not about the power return requirement; it was about the rejection of all the other advantages of an electric. Since this is a personal list anyway, it doesn't matter.
- TypeSlug
- New Member
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- Registered: 24-6-2019
- Posts: 5
Re: Features You Can Not Do Without
The first thing I check on a machine is that all the keys are there!
I prefer these features on my typewriters:
-Tabulator (hand-set at least)
-Line spacing selector (for double spacing)
-Paper bail or Paper fingers
-Paper scale
I agree with Uwe, I've found that the features you need depend most on what you plan on writing. I wouldn't use my simple portable to write a formatted final draft, but I don't absolutely need a desktop typewriter for first drafts or personal writing. In my (limited) experience, I haven't seen many typewriters with broken touch control.
