Topicless thread

[Bella]

indeed.

though i still don't know what sets it apart from other typewriters. i like my olivetti.

Did you read the article? That's like asking "I don't know what set the first Macintosh-" or "the IBM PC apart from other computers". They're revolutionary machines.

Except there isn't a huge demand for working IBM PCs and Macintosh 128k's today, nor do many people (besides hobbyists) still use them. And the PC and 128k aren't great feats of engineering when compared to other computers. In that respect, the Selectric could be thought of as being superior from a design POV.

[stewartsage]

The Selectric is just fantastically innovative and a triumph of industrial design; everyone has their preference for IBM, Royal, Olivetti, Remington, what have you but the Selectric is just a classic.

[Chocofreak13]

you guys keep saying that, but you offer little proof. tell me, what sets it apart? what special features are there? can it type whole words automatically? can it be adapted to print things from a computer? list some stuff then i'll start believing you. :\

[Bella]

The Selectric was the first typewriter to ...
-Have a moving type element and stationary paper, thus eliminating the need for a platen-carrying carriage.
-Use a ball element instead of the clunky, loud and jam-prone typebars that were common at the time of its creation.
-Use an easy-change cartridge instead of ribbon.
-Successfully implement changeable typefaces.
-Successfully implement multiple languages.
-Have a built-in correction feature.
-Implement dual-pitch type.
-Use a binary digital-to-analog converter to select the character to be typed.
(Explaination here)

A few things that make the Selectric remarkable:
-An extremely popular design: it captured 75% of the typewriter market in its heyday and remained the most popular typewriter for two decades.
-It was a smash hit from its inception: in 30 days IBM sold as many Selectrics as they'd forecasted they would sell in the first six months.
-One of the fastest typewriters ever made, no lag between striking a key and the type appearing on the paper.
-Could be modified into a computer terminal. (Read more about it here)
-In 1964, the first word processing system was built around it: Selectrics could be connected to a magnetic tape storage system (called the MT/ST), allowing for input data to be loaded onto computers, later modified, etc. 
-In 1966, the heavily modified Selectric Composer was created. It was the world's first "desktop publishing" system, decades before microcomputers claimed that title.

That's not even touching on the subject of the mechanical complexity of its design, the amount of thought IBM put into its outer appearance and how iconic it's become from a design point of view or talking about how popular they've remained throughout the years.

[Red-Machine]

I'd use a dedicated word processor to write my fics if I could.  Maybe an Amstrad PCW16...

[Nichi]

I knew Bella would explain everything, although I got some of the general stuff on my own :3

Now, if only I could track down a Times New Roman type element for mine, as that's my signature font

[Chocofreak13]

sounds cool. :0

just hope this isn't going to become Selectric Collections. :\

[Nichi]

You say that about damn near anything that becomes popular on here that isn't directly OS-tan related, and yet it never happens :\

No offense, but the only way this site would change to anything other than what it is now is if Pit and/or Fedora-tan wake up one day and go "Hey; let's turn the OSC into Swiss Cheese Collections" or something to that extent

[Chocofreak13]

eh, i just don't want to come back from making dinner to hear about selectrics are superior to something. honestly, they sound cool, but i get the feeling that the fandom might be a bit spammy.

of course, you're right though, that DOES happen any time something gets popular. guess i'm gonna have to put up with selectric talk for a week or two. at least it's a fixed item, unlike when an anime becomes popular, since the anime has longevity due to more episodes coming out over time. >>;;

my only beef here is that whenever there's group popularity about something it feels like that's ALL THAT'S TALKED ABOUT. or all that pictures are posted of. hope that makes sense. :\

[Nichi]

I know the feeling, to be honest. When something like that happens with something I don't care much for, it gets uncomfortable for me no matter the subject; football and K-On being the major ones from my past

[Red-Machine]

I <3 Mio so bad...

[Bella]

Kari, you're such a contrarian. The moment something becomes popular you want to distance yourself as far as you can from it. That being said, you need to learn to differentiate between factual statements and bragging. If Person X said, "A computer is more technologically advanced than an abacus", that would be a statement of fact. If Person X said "OMFG I HAVE A COMPUTER AND YOU HAVE AN ABACUS, MY COMPUTER IS SO AWESOME AND UR ABACUS IS STUPID!!!!!" that would be bragging. 

You asked me to list some reasons why Selectrics are novel compared to other typewriters, and I did. I never bragged, I never asserted any kind of superiority, I only listed some of the features they pioneered and some fun trivia about them. And that upset you. I have no idea what to say, only that you shouldn't let everything be so offensive to you.

Also, if OSC hasn't become MLP/Yuri/Touhou/Haruhi/Madoka/K-On! Collections yet, it's not gonna become ANY other kind of Collection.

[Chocofreak13]

@pent: it's not even that i don't care for it. the opposite, actually, a selectric seems like a pretty cool thing to own. i'm just gearing up for the inevitable 3 days - 2 weeks of nothing but talk relating to the subject. :\

@red: mio is so cute. with such a great voice. *0*

@bella: prepare for itemized argument.

1. i wouldn't call myself a contrarian, considering there have been bandwagons i have jumped on. they're just not most of the ones that have happened here.

2. where did i bring up factual statements vs bragging. seriously, where, cause i don't see it. i said, and i quote:

sounds cool. :0

just hope this isn't going to become Selectric Collections. :\

I SAID THAT SOUNDS COOL. AS IN THE FACTS ABOUT SELECTRICS SOUND COOL. JUST THAT I HOPE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THINGS BESIDES SELECTRICS THAT ARE COOL.

3. i'm not sure how you got upset from ":\". it's such a neutral emoticon that i'm not sure it can even convey any emotion besides apathy and perhaps mild uncomfort. maybe the feeling of awkwardness as well. but upset? no. i just don't see it.

4. i cannot tell you how upsetting it is to me that people assume i'm upset. funny, right? that said, your assumption that i was upset has made me upset. way to go, genius.

5. while osc may not have become MLP/Yuri/TouHou/Haruhi/Madoka/K-On! collections PERMANENTLY, it has become so on a temporary basis, and that was what i was expressing my contempt against. i'm quite thankful that these states were temporary, but the point i'm trying to make is that whenever someone find something everyone finds cool, that's all that's ever discussed. for example, when MLP first hit here, it caught topicless, RPT, RVT, the gaming section, and even RPT goes wild! for awhile there. now that the discussion has cooled a bit, i can enjoy it, but during the days when all the threads would feature would be things related to pony, i was suffocating in it.

6. your new avatar is creepy.


these are the times when i wonder how we're friends.

however, i hope you're still on for saturday. i should tell you now that any animosity we experience out of game will not reflect in game.

[Bella]

Ugh, this reminds me of like every female friendship I had growing up. Disagreement -> Argument -> having them say something along the lines of "I wonder how we're friends"/"I don't wanna be friends with you anymore" -> me being left completely baffled as to why they reacted so badly to some less-than-polite thing I said/did offhandedly/without thinking/in a moment of anger. I guess I've just always had a guy's mind when it comes to friendships. >>;

I don't have any animosity against you, I'm just feeling super triggered right now so I think I'll step out for the evening.

[Krizonar]

lol, Typewriters