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06-2-2017 14:56:25  #11


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

I used to lap type but haven't in years because honestly it was too much of a pain for me. This was probably in part because I touch type and the ergonomics of that position are very poor. When I did lap type - mostly in bed - I used one of those ergonomically designed laptop trays, which was wide enough to hold extra paper and usually anything else that I might have been working from such as written notes. The tray I had was fairly elaborate and included speakers so I could plug in my smartphone and listen to music while I was typing. My wife thought I was nuts; there was a perfectly good desk in the next room and she couldn't understand the necessity of using a typewriter while being in bed.

The weight difference between the two models might probably only be a factor when carrying the machine around as opposed to it being on your lap. I really have to dig out those numbers, but I think the difference is only half a kilo or so (1 lb).  


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

06-2-2017 17:15:13  #12


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

OK, I'm a little late to the party, but I have one example of each and would categorize them as such:

The Olympia SF is a little typewriter that types like a big typewriter.  Everything feels like someone took a standard-sized portable and shrank it down a few sizes in the wash.  It has more of a heavy set, yet smooth feeling, akin to a train on rails.

The Baby, to me, has a lighter touch - it's zippy and the keystrokes seem to have a shorter throw than the Olympia, and the carriage darts along, but without it feeling like its threatening to separate itself from the rest of the typewriter.

It's worth noting that the shift action on the Hermes will be generally easier on your fingers since the carriage pivots when pressing the shift key, rather than being hoisted up in its entirety as on the Olympia.  My SF is all metal; the Baby has a plastic body.  Hence, the Hermes is marginally quieter, which may be beneficial depending on where you take it.  I prefer the Hermes by the smallest of margins, but you really can't go wrong with either machine 

 

06-2-2017 18:11:13  #13


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

All good points and accurate. pdxtypewriter is comparing the SF to the metal-bodied Rocket (Baby) with the gull-wing ribbon covers, which I think looks far better than the later model plastic-bodied variants. I've never compared the two in terms of noise, which actually might be an important consideration for a lap typer...


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

06-2-2017 18:37:44  #14


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

Ok. Thank you, all. One last question:

I have a Hermes 3000, Love it.
I have an Olympia SM9. Love it.

Each has a distinct, and to me, brand-specific feel. I could be blindfolded and tell the Hermes from the Olympia.

Do each of these juniors have the feel of their big brothers? I know they are smaller machines, but do those of you who own the Rocket feel it's made by Hermes, and the case of the SF, do you recognize that it belongs to the Olympia line?

This may not be a question that's answerable, because perhaps they are simply their own machines. I hope I'm being clear in what I'm asking, as strange as it may be :-)

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06-2-2017 19:03:59  #15


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

I fully understand your question, and my gut says that the brand familiarity would be stronger with the Olympia. However, it's an interesting thing to investigate further and although I'll have pull out a number of ultra-portables to really know, at the moment my memory of using these machines says that the Rocket (Baby) has more in common with the feel of a few other ultra-portables than it being a distinctly Hermes model. 


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

06-2-2017 20:54:23  #16


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

Uwe wrote:

All good points and accurate. pdxtypewriter is comparing the SF to the metal-bodied Rocket (Baby) with the gull-wing ribbon covers, which I think looks far better than the later model plastic-bodied variants. I've never compared the two in terms of noise, which actually might be an important consideration for a lap typer...

I can't attest to the metal vs plastic bodied Hermes machines, but I will say that when I got mine, it was apparent that it had been dropped at some point, as the body shell and bottom panel both required extensive realignment.  The rest of the machine, once clear of the outer shell, was completely unharmed except for a broken platen knob that needed some glue.  So actually, +1 to the Baby for durability!

On the subject of your other question, pdxtypewriter, there's definitely a resemblance in feel between the SM9 and the SF, both feel very precise and deliberate in their motions.  You will definitely recognize the SF as a bonafide Olympia!  I can't comment on the Hermes since I don't have a 3000, but I very recently picked up a 2000, and it feels nothing like the Baby.

 

08-2-2017 08:43:34  #17


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

I have a 2000, a 3000, and two Babys - a 1949 one, and a 1961 green one with the gullwings. The 1949 one seems to me to have more in common with eg the Patria machines of similar vintage. But I'd definitely say that the 2000, 3000 and later Baby all feel like part of the same family. The main difference for me between the 2000 and 3000 is the shift. And the Baby has the same sort of short-throw feel that the SF has, but in a very Hermes way.

 

08-2-2017 09:24:11  #18


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

Kat, are you talking about a Baby or a Rocket? I'm trying to get a sense of a c.57 Rocket, and I don't know enough to know whether that's the same machine as the Baby with another name.

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08-2-2017 11:41:19  #19


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

They're the same machine (see post #4 of this thread).


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

08-2-2017 14:49:01  #20


Re: Which one: Olympia SF or Hermes Rocket?

Thanks Uwe, I missed that.  Interesting that they would change the name, although ROCKET in the late 50s early 60s was a very sexy idea since all things space were very, very, cool.

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