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From: Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid>
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: the computer built to last 50 years
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2025 23:30:39 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
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On Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:27:02 -0300, Salvador Mirzo wrote:

> Each time I look at my Hermes Rocket typewriter (on the left in the
> picture), I’m astonished by the fact that the thing looks pretty modern
> and, after a few cleaning, works like a charm. The device is 75 years
> old and is a very complex piece of technology with more than 2000 moving
> parts. It’s still one of the best tools to focus on writing.

Technology is here to adapt to our needs, we should not be adapting our 
needs to the technology.

People who are used to typewriters don’t notice the absence of features 
they don’t provide. Think what an advance it was when Mike Nesmith’s 
mother invented Tipp-Ex. Then the advances in digital technology allowed 
the creation of specialist machines called “word processors”, with text 
memories, macro keys and other advanced features. Just the ability to 
preview a page of text on the screen before printing it out led to the 
saving, not just of paper, but of time.