The first typewriter had no shift-key mechanism–it wrote capital letters only. The problem of printing both capitals and small letters without increasing the number of keys was solved by placing two types, a capital and lowercase of the same letter, on each bar, in combination with a cylinder-shifting mechanism. The first shift-key typewriter–the Remington Model 2–appeared on the market in 1878.
Although still popular with a few writers and in less developed countries, the typewriter has largely been replaced by the word processor application on a personal computer.
Typewriter design and its operation.
arrangement расположение
carbon paper копировальная бумага
carriage каретка
carriage return mechanism механизм возврата каретки
character знак
duplicate дубликат
escapement спуск каретки на позицию, равную одному знаку
font шрифт
handwriting почерк
impact удар
key lever клавишный рычаг
keyboard клавиатура
layer слой
line spacing межстрочный интервал
ribbon лента
shape форма
shift-key клавиша в пишущей машинке для смены регистра
size размер
typebars литерный рычаг
word processor текстовой процессор
Processes related to the operation of a typewriter
insert вставлять
manufacture производить
mark отмечать, ставить метку
press нажимать
rename переименовать
strike ударять
print печатать
1. COMPREHENSION
Complete the table using information from the text
2. WRITING
a. Write a paragraph about the design of the typewriter and about changes in the design. Use the table above as a support.
b. Answer (in written) the question: “What kind of a typewriter do you prefer?”
3. DISCUSSION
a. If you think you could invent the new type of typewriter what would it be?
b. Why are the keys on the keyboard of a typewriter arranged the way they are?
c. Do you think the invention of a typewriter affects our lives today.
The invention of the modern computer keyboard began with the invention of the typewriter.
A few key technological developments created the transition of the typewriter into the computer keyboard. The teletype machine, introduced in the 1930s, combined the technology of the typewriter (used as an input and a printing device) with the telegraph. Elsewhere, punched card systems were combined with typewriters to create what was called keypunches. Keypunches were the basis of early adding machines and IBM was selling over one million dollars worth of adding machines in 1931.