Gratuitous Icon Time!

[the_gneech]

My new writing icon. :) Honors my old, beloved but now obsolete IBM Selectric.

Computer keyboards just ain't got the same soul, and sure as heck don't have that wonderful solid CLACK!. But word processors are much more useful than a "backspace/correct" key.

-The Gneech

Comments

[bovil.livejournal.com]

I learned to type on a Selectric. It's still the best keyboard feel ever, although my crazy expensive ergo keyboards with full-size shaped key caps and full-throw key switches come close.

[dhlawrence.livejournal.com]

We used to have an old heavy black Selectric II (I think) that had a loud punch whenever you hit the key. An explosive CHOMP sound, in addition to the whirr of the machine itself.

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Yes, precisely. :) Not unlike the visceral pleasure of hearing a lightsaber going whirrwhirrwhirr-BVORPBZATT!

-The Gneech

[hallan.livejournal.com]

That icon is full of awesome. :)

I love the *ding!* at the end.

Hallan

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Glad you like it! :) The *ding!* was lythandra's idea.

-The Gneech

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Well, you notice I said that word processors were more useful...

-TG

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

You might be interested in my friend Andrew Macrae who uses typewriters to do this sort of thing.

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Our computer lab at VCU had a giant ASCII portrait of Spock on the wall. 'twas cool. :)

-The Gneech

[spikedpunch.livejournal.com]

We still got a whole herd of those damns things.

[kylet.livejournal.com]

I won't buy a keyboard without a lot of click. It's getting harder and harder :-/

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

Agreed! They had a soft touch on a machine in my high school's library. It was the only machine with proquest, which meant we HAD to use it frequently for research. I hated that machine with the firey passion of a thousand red-hot suns.

-=TK

[bovil.livejournal.com]

Kinesis Advantage USB keyboards. (http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/advantage.htm)

Full-size sculpted keys, full throw, and the weird shape only takes about a week to get used to.

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

If I was going to pay $300 for a keyboard anyway, I'd probably get one of the steampunk ones.

-TG

[the-mcp.livejournal.com]

Gah... I could *never* type on something like that. Even those supposedly "normal" ergonomic keyboards drive me batty.

If you want a keyboard with a good, solid buckling-spring click like the original IBM Model M keyboards, try these guys: Unicomp PCKeyboard.com (http://www.pckeyboard.com/) Their basic "Customizer 101" model, which is a PS/2-type keyboard just like the original PC-AT design (meaning, no Windows key), is only $59 + shipping; if you need a Windows keyboard and/or USB instead, the Customizer 104/105 is $69.

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Intriguing! I shall investigate. :) Thanks for the heads-up!

-TG

[kylet.livejournal.com]

:::squints::: Where's the Ctrl and Alt? Essential for us PC users ;-p

[maxgoof.livejournal.com]

I remember when the Selectric came out.

I learned to type on an old Royal mechanical typewriter, which is why I pound keyboards harder than necessary.

fff jjj fff jjj fff jjj

[stilghar.livejournal.com]

My beloved does the same thing. When he had his bedroom and computer upstairs, I could hear him jackhammering his keyboard from the kitchen immediately below.

He lightened up a bit after his third replacement in a year.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

It's still not obsolete when you need quadruplicate ;D

[rhanlav.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you could use something more like this. If you say that this keyboard doesn't have enough soul for 2 keyboards, I don't know what to say.

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I could, but I shrink at paying $300 for a keyboard...

-TG

[rhanlav.livejournal.com]

Well, do you want a keyboard with soul, or 300 dollars? ;) Maybe its time to build your own. Although that might take some time away from your "doing comics thing".

[genecatlow.livejournal.com]

*chuckle* You might hunt around or eBay or wherever for a keyboard from an IBM Wheelwriter, one of the latter-day ones made by Lexmark (the spun-off IBM Office Products division). Identical to a Selectric keyboard in every way plus you can plug it right into a PC (with a PS2 adaptor). I had to get one for my mom... she's a touch typist and she can destroy a flimsy cheapo keyboard within months (even weeks if she's on a roll...)

[kaysho.livejournal.com]

The "ding" just makes that icon. :)

I will also say this for word processors and E-mail: offices are so much quieter now without clacking typewriters and constantly ringing phones. :)