General Discussion

kpete

(72,013 posts) Sun Nov 8, 2015, 05:12 PM Nov 2015

Samuel Clemens sends a letter to his brother about his "new fangled writing machine"

Evidently, he was the first author to ever submit a typewritten manuscript:

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2015/10/new-fangled-writing-machine.html

10 replies

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Samuel Clemens sends a letter to his brother about his "new fangled writing machine" (Original Post) kpete Nov 2015 OP

'Piles an awful stack of words on one page.' Octafish Nov 2015 #1

That's 2600 dollars in today's money for the typewriter. Mosby Nov 2015 #2

Tools of the trade. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Nov 2015 #3

And you could probably get a so-so desktop computer for about a third of that... nomorenomore08 Nov 2015 #9

I love it!!!!!! wendylaroux Nov 2015 #4

Imagine the mixed feelings some of today's writers must have Buns_of_Fire Nov 2015 #5

In before the Call Me Wesley appearance! Dr. Strange Nov 2015 #6

was Susie a cat? Skittles Nov 2015 #7

He went bankrupt because of that machine Generic Other Nov 2015 #8

The distant ancestor of MS Word, which I still use to this day. nomorenomore08 Nov 2015 #10

Octafish

(55,745 posts)

1. 'Piles an awful stack of words on one page.'

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Nov 8, 2015, 05:18 PM

Nov 2015

"I believe it will print faster than I can write."

Mosby

(16,342 posts)

2. That's 2600 dollars in today's money for the typewriter.

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Nov 8, 2015, 05:25 PM

Nov 2015

Erich Bloodaxe BSN

(14,733 posts)

3. Tools of the trade.

Reply to Mosby (Reply #2)

Sun Nov 8, 2015, 05:37 PM

Nov 2015

I was at a crafting store today, and saw a professional sewing machine marked down from 11000 to 6000, because the newest model had just come out, making it obsolete. I think that one cost 15000.

nomorenomore08

(13,324 posts)

9. And you could probably get a so-so desktop computer for about a third of that...

Reply to Mosby (Reply #2)

Mon Nov 9, 2015, 01:54 AM

Nov 2015

In 2015, obviously, not 1874...

wendylaroux

(2,925 posts)

4. I love it!!!!!!

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Nov 8, 2015, 05:44 PM

Nov 2015

thank you for this

Buns_of_Fire

(17,193 posts)

5. Imagine the mixed feelings some of today's writers must have

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Nov 8, 2015, 06:12 PM

Nov 2015

while learning how to use the Dragon NaturallySpeaking™ software.

And in another hundred years, "This damned thought-processing software ain't worth beans." ("Holy crap, did I just think that? Strike that. It's not what I meant to think. Okay. Dearest Bunky comma new paragraph I miss you so much geez, look at the bod on that woman... NO! NO! DON'T TYPE THAT! ERASE! SEND TO GARBAGE!..." Software: "Message Sent.&quot