Typewriters

We have some old IBM Selectric typewriters that we use for filling out court forms and such.

Been getting complaints that they are having problems, so I did some research into getting newer replacements.

Seems like there are only really 3 major players in the typewriter market at the moment. Brother, Smith Corona and Nakajima. Apparently there are a few companies that sell rebranded Nakajimas like Swintech, Royal and some others that I can't remember. Gone from the space is IBM, which is notable mainly because that's how IBM pretty much got their start and how they became so big.

Anyhow, I talked to a local shop that services typewriters and also sells new ones and was told that it's better to get our Selectrics repaired than it would be to get new models. This advice sticks in my craw of course, given that I'm of the newer is better crowd. But I'm no expert on typewriters and so will defer to who I think is an expert (this shop has been maintaining our typewriters for years).

Just kind of annoying that even in this day and age we have to rely on typewriters for some things and that no one apparently makes really good ones anymore.

Of course if anyone has any ideas on how to economically digitize the forms we use, I'm all ears. And by economically, I do of course mean that it has to be cheaper than maintaining 3 typewriters.

Comments

[James]

What type of forms (unsual size, etc), how complex, and most importantly how many?