Typewriter fans spurn computers

Typewriter fans spurn computers

By I. Christianto

JAKARTA (JP): A young man recalled an experience he had one
afternoon of desperately calling his friends one by one, asking
them if they had a typewriter.

When he found a friend whose father still had his aging
typewriter, he rushed to pick it up. Then he had to run to a big
bookstore to buy a typewriter ribbon after failing to find one at
several photocopy and stationery stores.

"It was so unforgettable. That night, I had to fill out an
additional, important form from a university I enrolled at. It
had to be submitted the next morning. I could not handwrite the
form or use a computer, but had to find a typewriter. Now, I have
a simple typewriter of my own, just in case ..., " the young man
said.

The man, who is now pursuing a master's degree at the
university, was lucky to find a typewriter and ribbon that
afternoon.

Other people may have experienced the same problem when they
needed a typewriter, which are becoming increasingly difficult to
locate. We now live in a modern and wired world, filled with
electronic, automated and motorized tools and machines, including
computers. Many people feel inconvenienced when separated from
their personal digital agendas or palm pilots.

Surprisingly, the classic typewriter remains a favorite for
some people, like the father of that young man's friend. These
people are fond of using their typewriters, or simply like to
collect them.

Noted writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, 75, is among those who
continue to use typewriters in their daily lives.

"I do enjoy the sounds of the old manual typewriter. It's so
artistic. Somehow, it supports me in writing," he said.

He admitted that he had tried to become accustomed to
computers. "But there are so many 'regulations' and I can't catch
them. And I don't feel the same way if I use the computer."

He said that when writing on his typewriter, he worked
continuously over a period of time.

"I don't know exactly the age of my typewriter, but I've been
using it for quite sometime.

"I learned to use a typewriter when I was 17, at my school. I
spent two weeks mastering typing by myself, without any
instructor," he recalled.

"My first job was as a typist at Domei, a Japanese news agency
located in Pasar Baru."

Pramoedya, regarded as one of Indonesia's finest writers, has
written hundreds of works of fictions and nonfiction.

Ibrahim Yahya, 70, is another person who regularly uses a
manual typewriter. Since retiring from the military, he says he
has been involved in various organizations and foundations.

"As a retired soldier, I have to be involved in some
activities. Participating in several organizations is good for
me. I am dealing with mailings and other administration affairs
that require me to use a typewriter."

He said he once tried to use a word processor, "but still I
enjoy using a typewriter more than a computer".

Not all typewriter users are elderly people who grew up with
the machines. There are others who have to use typewriters
because it is the only thing available in their offices. In many
police stations, for instance, the officers work with
typewriters.

An officer with the information unit at Jakarta Police
Headquarters said only one out of the hundreds of subprecincts in
Greater Jakarta were equipped with computers. This subprecinct in
Taman Sari, West Jakarta, has made a name for itself by arresting
Agus Isrok, the son of former Army chief of staff Gen. Soebagyo,
and Gusti Maya Firanti Noor, a grand daughter-in-law of former
president Soeharto, for drug offenses.

McGraw-Hill's Encyclopedia of Science and Technology mentions
that the commercial manual typewriter was launched in 1874, while
the electric one was introduced in 1934.

In a span of more than 100 years, this machine actually
revolutionized the world of communications. However, in the
current world of efficiency and order, people believe in progress
and technology and pay more attention to developments and new
"advances" in the telephone, PCs and multimedia gadgets.

The typewriter is of the world's great unsung inventions. But
should something akin to the Y2K bug actually strike, people will
certainly be singing the praises of the typewriter then.