Last week my Mother-In-Law, who is a School Librarian at Sheldon Early Childhood Academy did a few book trailers for their school website. She asked me to borrow a typewriter to aid in making the trailer. I quickly ran through my head picking out the best choice for the occasion. My Smith Corona Sterling I though for the sound and overall look would be best. Anyways I thought everyone in the typosphere would get a kick out of this. I found it especially amusing how the school librarian at the Sheldon High School couldn't figure out how to use the carriage return.
Click below to see the video:
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
By Doreen Gronin Pictures by Betsy Lewin
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Response to LFP’s Modern Convince
Response to LFP’s Modern Convince
Buying a toaster online can be quite time consuming I’m sure. But so can buying anything online. There are just so many reviews that if you aren’t careful you will become consumed by it all.
The past three or so weeks I have been trying to put together all of the parts that I need to build a new PC. The problem is that when building a PC there are constantly new parts coming out, some better than others. A brand that I trusted two years ago might be not the best choice now. Some of parts that go into building a PC are… First you have to figure out what processor you want, are you going with Intel or AMD. (I’m going with AMD for their price/performance ratio. Plus it will be replaced, that is inevitable, so why spend more than you have to.) Then your Motherboard, Ram, Power supply, Hard Drive, and Graphics card all have to be selected.
There are also combos that if you buy, say, a case, power supply, processor and motherboard you get fifty dollars off. Usually combos are a great way to save money but trying to select the best one that is in your price can be very, very time consuming. There will be things you like about some of the parts in the combos and other parts you wish you could replace all together.
The main thing I try to keep in mind is there will be things I replace in two years because they are out of date. But this is why if you do it smart, and build it yourself, you can save money by just replacing what you need. Just buying a new motherboard and processor in two years, spending maybe one hundred and fifty dollars is better than throwing out a thousand dollar HP or Dell. There is no worse feeling than using a old, slow, gunked up computer because you spent all of that money and it can’t be upgraded.
Overall building a computer is a time consuming process and it’s hard to stay up to date on everything. Although as of right now I feel so up to date it is outrageous. It is so easy to put together a computer, and quite fun. The hard part is selecting the right parts.
Buying a toaster online can be quite time consuming I’m sure. But so can buying anything online. There are just so many reviews that if you aren’t careful you will become consumed by it all.
The past three or so weeks I have been trying to put together all of the parts that I need to build a new PC. The problem is that when building a PC there are constantly new parts coming out, some better than others. A brand that I trusted two years ago might be not the best choice now. Some of parts that go into building a PC are… First you have to figure out what processor you want, are you going with Intel or AMD. (I’m going with AMD for their price/performance ratio. Plus it will be replaced, that is inevitable, so why spend more than you have to.) Then your Motherboard, Ram, Power supply, Hard Drive, and Graphics card all have to be selected.
There are also combos that if you buy, say, a case, power supply, processor and motherboard you get fifty dollars off. Usually combos are a great way to save money but trying to select the best one that is in your price can be very, very time consuming. There will be things you like about some of the parts in the combos and other parts you wish you could replace all together.
The main thing I try to keep in mind is there will be things I replace in two years because they are out of date. But this is why if you do it smart, and build it yourself, you can save money by just replacing what you need. Just buying a new motherboard and processor in two years, spending maybe one hundred and fifty dollars is better than throwing out a thousand dollar HP or Dell. There is no worse feeling than using a old, slow, gunked up computer because you spent all of that money and it can’t be upgraded.
Overall building a computer is a time consuming process and it’s hard to stay up to date on everything. Although as of right now I feel so up to date it is outrageous. It is so easy to put together a computer, and quite fun. The hard part is selecting the right parts.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Dot Matrix Cast 9/17/10
With the new ribbon and when printed in Best mode there is still noticeable features that make it obvious it is printed on a Dot Matrix. Once I scanned and posted the paper it actually looks really clear as if the scan smoothed out some of the dots. The Fast mode and Draft were re-printed onto the original page and wasn't spaced correctly. Oh well, it's the first of its kind, I'll get it right the next time
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday August 28, 2010
Typecast Friday 28th 2010
Trust me I have been trying to put together something and it bugs me every day that it has gone on this long. This isn’t a typecast but just an update on life I guess. I finished school with A’s last semester. I have had the past two weeks off and have to go back this following Monday. This is why it has been bothering me so much. I have all this free time that I’m sure most of you would kill for and I can’t even manage a simple update. So I figured I owe it to Y’all, as they say there in Houston. I still haven’t got used to that whole Y’all thing. For me it is still “You Guys”
There were things that I procrastinated on doing that got done on my break at least. My latest project is actually two things. First off, Allies laptop died a few days ago. It was the dreaded finicky power cord. We already replaced it once about a year ago and now that the thing is going on six years it was time for something new. I have always loved Macintosh. For me the only Microsoft products that I like are Windows 3.1 and lovely DOS. I have used Microsoft machines growing up and found that anything past Windows 95 gets really clunky and slow. My father worked for Digital or DEC a computer company that was wonderful back in its hay day. Ever since I was born there was a computer in the house. Our first computer was the IBM 5170 built in 1986 that was actually the first computer to be labeled as the PC, personal computer. Growing up it was DOS games and games that ran with 3.1. Every other year they would give my father a laptop and when he got a new one he would generously give the old one to my brother and I.
So anyways, it is so easy to trail off when writing on the computer. Where was I? Oh, so I was looking for a Macintosh for Allie. The iBook seemed like a good choice but her current laptop didn’t do anything portable so then I thought what about one of those iMac G4’s, the ones that have the round base and swivel LCD. She has always wanted one so we found one on ebay and ordered it. I of course hunted and hunted to find the best one and I plan to max it out for her since it is older. The thing though about Macintosh machines is that they don’t slow down. My Macbook that I am using right not (with my Unicomp keyboard) is still fast as when I bought it. The only way that her laptop lasted as long as it did was because I put Ubuntu on it, a Linux operating system. (I would rather use Linux than Windoze any day of the week, but that’s just me.)
So my love of Macintosh computers and vintage macs brought me to a recent purchase of a Mac LC III built around 1991. This is the reason that I haven’t been seen these past few weeks and why sometimes I prefer the simplicity of the Typewriter. Computers, especially vintage computers can be so time consuming. But I plan to post an overview of some vintage Word Processors I have been working with sometime, hopefully soon. I have about eight or so Word Processors in the mix from Word 5.1 to Claris Works to Write Now to MacWrite, Word Perfect and a few others and many versions of each. All of these are available from a website called Macintosh Garden where they are free to download. I even found a copy of Adobe PS 4 on there that I enjoy.
So that’s what has been going on recently and maybe even some Dot Matrix Vintage Mac typecasts will appear in the near future. I have a whole bunch of ideas and just need to make the time to show them off. I better get cranking two because come to think of it, Nano is coming up right around the corner.
Trust me I have been trying to put together something and it bugs me every day that it has gone on this long. This isn’t a typecast but just an update on life I guess. I finished school with A’s last semester. I have had the past two weeks off and have to go back this following Monday. This is why it has been bothering me so much. I have all this free time that I’m sure most of you would kill for and I can’t even manage a simple update. So I figured I owe it to Y’all, as they say there in Houston. I still haven’t got used to that whole Y’all thing. For me it is still “You Guys”
There were things that I procrastinated on doing that got done on my break at least. My latest project is actually two things. First off, Allies laptop died a few days ago. It was the dreaded finicky power cord. We already replaced it once about a year ago and now that the thing is going on six years it was time for something new. I have always loved Macintosh. For me the only Microsoft products that I like are Windows 3.1 and lovely DOS. I have used Microsoft machines growing up and found that anything past Windows 95 gets really clunky and slow. My father worked for Digital or DEC a computer company that was wonderful back in its hay day. Ever since I was born there was a computer in the house. Our first computer was the IBM 5170 built in 1986 that was actually the first computer to be labeled as the PC, personal computer. Growing up it was DOS games and games that ran with 3.1. Every other year they would give my father a laptop and when he got a new one he would generously give the old one to my brother and I.
So anyways, it is so easy to trail off when writing on the computer. Where was I? Oh, so I was looking for a Macintosh for Allie. The iBook seemed like a good choice but her current laptop didn’t do anything portable so then I thought what about one of those iMac G4’s, the ones that have the round base and swivel LCD. She has always wanted one so we found one on ebay and ordered it. I of course hunted and hunted to find the best one and I plan to max it out for her since it is older. The thing though about Macintosh machines is that they don’t slow down. My Macbook that I am using right not (with my Unicomp keyboard) is still fast as when I bought it. The only way that her laptop lasted as long as it did was because I put Ubuntu on it, a Linux operating system. (I would rather use Linux than Windoze any day of the week, but that’s just me.)
So my love of Macintosh computers and vintage macs brought me to a recent purchase of a Mac LC III built around 1991. This is the reason that I haven’t been seen these past few weeks and why sometimes I prefer the simplicity of the Typewriter. Computers, especially vintage computers can be so time consuming. But I plan to post an overview of some vintage Word Processors I have been working with sometime, hopefully soon. I have about eight or so Word Processors in the mix from Word 5.1 to Claris Works to Write Now to MacWrite, Word Perfect and a few others and many versions of each. All of these are available from a website called Macintosh Garden where they are free to download. I even found a copy of Adobe PS 4 on there that I enjoy.
So that’s what has been going on recently and maybe even some Dot Matrix Vintage Mac typecasts will appear in the near future. I have a whole bunch of ideas and just need to make the time to show them off. I better get cranking two because come to think of it, Nano is coming up right around the corner.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
June 22 2010
A tribute video of our friend Tom F. at Cambridge Typewriter
Just now came across this video, I wonder if Tom knows its whereabouts
Just now came across this video, I wonder if Tom knows its whereabouts
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
School is out for a few weeks. I will be back on June 7th for summer classes. I am just trying to get done with school as quickly as I can. I worked a few extra shifts and bought myself a Yamaha keyboard. When I was young, first grade or so, I took a few piano lessons but never followed. When I was in high school I picked up playing guitar but could only read tabs. I have always wanted to go back to piano especially when I got rid of my guitar because my hands and fingers were just to big to play it. So I now have beside me my keyboard that I have spend easily 6 hours a day on since I got it last Tuesday. I feel through my writing I am only able to be so creative and would like to express myself through music as well. In no way have I forgot about my writing, I am keeping good journals as I begin playing and making progress. I find myself not knowing where the time has gone when I look up. I bought a piano lesson DVD set on sale called Learn and Master Piano and they are simply amazing. I have never been so excited about sheet music and learning chords and don't want to miss anything.
My time seems to be just so taken up lately which I am not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I haven't had a chance to update and felt that I am far over due. Yesterday I was sitting at the bar at Applebees and was talking with this seventy year old amazingly cool guy that worked for the Houston Chronicle, our Houston newspaper. He was talking to me about how much he doesn't understand the workforce and how it is almost impossible to hold a job for a long time. He had worked for the Chronicle for 40 years. I told him that I have a great time writing with my Olympia SG1 and my Selectrics, he chuckled and told me about how that's all there was when he started. We both agreed that the society that we live in is to fasted paced and probably almost everything in newspapers is someones edited first draft. I told him how a typewriter forces you to do at least a second draft before it's all just editing. He thought it was funny how someone doing HVAC Refrigeration was also a writer but said anything is possible if you are interested in what you are doing.
My time seems to be just so taken up lately which I am not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I haven't had a chance to update and felt that I am far over due. Yesterday I was sitting at the bar at Applebees and was talking with this seventy year old amazingly cool guy that worked for the Houston Chronicle, our Houston newspaper. He was talking to me about how much he doesn't understand the workforce and how it is almost impossible to hold a job for a long time. He had worked for the Chronicle for 40 years. I told him that I have a great time writing with my Olympia SG1 and my Selectrics, he chuckled and told me about how that's all there was when he started. We both agreed that the society that we live in is to fasted paced and probably almost everything in newspapers is someones edited first draft. I told him how a typewriter forces you to do at least a second draft before it's all just editing. He thought it was funny how someone doing HVAC Refrigeration was also a writer but said anything is possible if you are interested in what you are doing.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Spring Break Quick Update
Spring Break Quick Update
First off, I am officially moved in to the new place. We turned in the keys today to the old apartment and I don’t think I will miss it a bit. I can’t say enough good things about the new house. We have finished painting everything that we felt needed to be changed and it is now time to start unpacking. First off was my desk setup. I felt that everything was going to be a little cramped in the new room but it wasn’t bad. I said to Allie that I would be happy as long as I was able to have my desk, with my typewriter set up to the left, like at the last place. I just found that the setup worked so well at the other house that I couldn’t let it go.
With everything that has been going on lately, time just seems to be cranking by. I start my job at the new place tomorrow. I am excited but worried at the same time. Starting at a new restaurant on a Friday night will be quite the experience to say the least. As far as other things go, it has been nice to have a little break from school. I will be taking summer classes for sure and am all registered and everything. Silent type II needs to be fit in to my hectic schedule. I will find time, I promise. I just keep telling my self I need a few more days to get totally situated.
Other things I am really excited about are the back yard and our two car garage. I have never had a garage to put my tools in and it is going to be quite the treat. The back yard should be looking nice in a few weeks as well. I am not used to the grass that grows out here and had a good conversation with the clerk at Lowes about what I should do. I bought all the seed, a spreader and some lawn soil. I also bought the other day a reel lawnmower. It works really well surprisingly. I figured living in a town house, with a fairly small back yard, there should be no need to worry about having gas for the lawnmower. Plus, I figured that a manual typewriter does just a good job at writing as a word processor so I went for the old school mower. I plan to water the grass with my little spray attachment I bought for the hose and give it some love once the grass seed is put down. My grandfather always found that if you have the time to water the grass by hand, the grass would almost always grow better.
Now that things are hopefully about to settle down I plan to post much more than I have been lately. My mind has been filled with things that need to get down on paper but I have been so tired I haven’t been able to keep up. I find I seem to forget how much moving sucks until I am about half way through, thinking, how will I ever get all of this done in my lifetime. But time keeps ticking and eventually everything begins to work out. I am glad that I am getting near to finishing this move and it will be nice to have that piece of mind, knowing I won’t be moving for quite a while.
-James W.
First off, I am officially moved in to the new place. We turned in the keys today to the old apartment and I don’t think I will miss it a bit. I can’t say enough good things about the new house. We have finished painting everything that we felt needed to be changed and it is now time to start unpacking. First off was my desk setup. I felt that everything was going to be a little cramped in the new room but it wasn’t bad. I said to Allie that I would be happy as long as I was able to have my desk, with my typewriter set up to the left, like at the last place. I just found that the setup worked so well at the other house that I couldn’t let it go.
With everything that has been going on lately, time just seems to be cranking by. I start my job at the new place tomorrow. I am excited but worried at the same time. Starting at a new restaurant on a Friday night will be quite the experience to say the least. As far as other things go, it has been nice to have a little break from school. I will be taking summer classes for sure and am all registered and everything. Silent type II needs to be fit in to my hectic schedule. I will find time, I promise. I just keep telling my self I need a few more days to get totally situated.
Other things I am really excited about are the back yard and our two car garage. I have never had a garage to put my tools in and it is going to be quite the treat. The back yard should be looking nice in a few weeks as well. I am not used to the grass that grows out here and had a good conversation with the clerk at Lowes about what I should do. I bought all the seed, a spreader and some lawn soil. I also bought the other day a reel lawnmower. It works really well surprisingly. I figured living in a town house, with a fairly small back yard, there should be no need to worry about having gas for the lawnmower. Plus, I figured that a manual typewriter does just a good job at writing as a word processor so I went for the old school mower. I plan to water the grass with my little spray attachment I bought for the hose and give it some love once the grass seed is put down. My grandfather always found that if you have the time to water the grass by hand, the grass would almost always grow better.
Now that things are hopefully about to settle down I plan to post much more than I have been lately. My mind has been filled with things that need to get down on paper but I have been so tired I haven’t been able to keep up. I find I seem to forget how much moving sucks until I am about half way through, thinking, how will I ever get all of this done in my lifetime. But time keeps ticking and eventually everything begins to work out. I am glad that I am getting near to finishing this move and it will be nice to have that piece of mind, knowing I won’t be moving for quite a while.
-James W.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Typing with Speed and Luxury + Videos
I just got the Unicomp 104 Space Saver in the mail today!! This thing is simply amazing. I am really glad that I got the Space Saver model because I do need the desk space. It is so funny that I have something now so close to what a typewriter is but in digital format. The only thing that I will have to get use to is using the PC style keyboard with my Macbook. I don’t see much change besides not having the volume buttons, which doesn’t bother me too much. The keyboard was supposed to come last night but I missed the UPS guy. So with the note that he left, I signed it and wrote to him, “Please leave package to the left of door.” The whole thing is since I’m living in apartments right now they don’t like to leave packages at the door unless you have a note (Which I just found out today!) I have been missing the UPS guy a lot since I have lived here and I wish that I knew a while ago that all I had to do was leave him a note. Oh well…
Back to the keyboard, this thing is amazing. I love the way the buckling spring feels below my fingers. It is so just much smoother than the crappy rubber domes keyboards, just a bit more expensive and louder. I like the fact that I know when the key has made contact by a audible click. It is pleasant and reminds me a lot of typing on my typewriters. Another thing that I wanted to mention was that I find it much easier to type without looking at the keys. I think it has something to do with the way the keys are positions on the different levels, again, a lot like my typewriters.
In my opinion I love this little thing. The thing that made me give in was that I knew once I bought it I wouldn’t have to ever buy another keyboard. I can have this thing in service for quite a while. Once this computer is out of date this Unicomp keyboard will live on. That was the main selling point for me. Now I have something that is very pleasant to type on doing my Nano revisions. I would highly recommend this lovely keyboard to anyone here at the typosphere. This thing, with all of the schoolwork that I have to type up this week is going to have quite a lot of work to do. I am faithful that this thing will be able to accomplish my every task with out any problems.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Quick Olympia SG Video Overview
This is a one take movie of my Olympia SG 1 typewriter. When I say one take I mean one take, no editing. To answer your question, YES the camera fell off my leg and dropped to the floor and no I didn’t edit it out. It’s the Typosphere at its finest! With all the talk about crap cams and what have you why not first shot, one take movies? Watch me not being able to say what I mean like “focus” instead of “zoom” and everything. Anyway I hope you enjoy, Thanks for watching
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The iPad
Well the new Apple iPad was revealed today by our friend Steve jobs, the Gandhi of Apple. To be honest the thing looks pretty neat. I already have a computer though (Macbook) and a desktop (Both Macs). The thing is though they both over four years old. It is pretty much getting to be that time. I might have to start saving my 25 cent pieces. But logically I keep telling myself, I already have a iPhone, and what I am using will do for now.
What I have been thinking about purchasing is one of those IBM Model M keyboards. As much as I love my AS I am not a huge fan of its keyboard. As a matter of fact, I'm not a big fan of any of my keyboards, except my typers of course. But with the revision process of Nano this year it may be more worth looking into even more so than the iPad tablet. Thoughts???
Check out the new Apple iPad on Apples Website
What I have been thinking about purchasing is one of those IBM Model M keyboards. As much as I love my AS I am not a huge fan of its keyboard. As a matter of fact, I'm not a big fan of any of my keyboards, except my typers of course. But with the revision process of Nano this year it may be more worth looking into even more so than the iPad tablet. Thoughts???
Check out the new Apple iPad on Apples Website
Saturday, January 16, 2010
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