Trystan Casey
The invention of the typewriter was a significant milestone, but the electric typewriter was an even more impressive feat of engineering. The first electric typewriter was produced by the Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company in 1902, but it was not a commercial success. In 1914, James Fields Smathers invented what is considered the first practical power-operated typewriter. Remington released an electric typewriter based on Smathers's design in 1925, and IBM followed suit in 1935, dominating the market for the next two decades. The IBM Selectric, introduced in 1961, was a revolutionary breakthrough, featuring a spherical typeball that eliminated the issue of jamming. This new typewriter solidified IBM's leadership in the electric typewriter market.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First electric typewriter | Remington in 1925 |
| First practical power-operated typewriter | Invented by James Fields Smathers in 1914 |
| First practical teletypewriter | Invented by Charles and Howard Krum in 1910 |
| First electronic typewriter | Olivetti Tes 501 in 1976 |
| IBM's entry into the electric typewriter market | 1933 |
| IBM's first electric typewriter | 1935 |
| IBM's revolutionary breakthrough with spherical typeball | 1961 |
| IBM's magnetic tape system for storing characters | 1964 |
| IBM's Model 75 Electronic Typewriter storage capacity | 15,500 characters or about 10 pages of double-spaced copy |
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What You'll Learn
Remington's first electric typewriter was released in 1925
The development of the electric typewriter was a significant advancement in the field of typewriters. Remington, a manufacturer of firearms and typewriters, released its first electric typewriter in 1925. This typewriter was based on the design of James Fields Smathers, who invented what is considered the first practical power-operated typewriter in 1914. Remington's typewriter used a Northeast motor to power the typing function.
The history of Remington's involvement in the typewriter industry dates back to 1873 when it began production of its first typewriter in Ilion, New York. This typewriter, known as the Sholes and Glidden Type-Writer, was the first device that allowed an operator to type significantly faster than writing by hand. The success of this initial offering led to the release of the Remington No. 2 in 1878, which introduced the "Shift" key, allowing for upper and lower-case letters.
Remington's early innovations in the typewriter space contributed to the popularity of the QWERTY layout, which was first featured on the Sholes and Glidden Type-Writer. Over time, Remington became a major manufacturer in the typewriter industry, known for its mechanical expertise and ingenuity. The release of their first electric typewriter in 1925 further solidified their presence in the market.
It is worth noting that the evolution of typewriters continued beyond Remington's initial electric typewriter. In 1935, IBM entered the market with their electric typewriter, eventually dominating the industry. IBM's breakthrough came in 1961 with the invention of the IBM Selectric Typewriter, which featured a spherical typeball, eliminating the issue of jammed keys.
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Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company's electric typewriter in 1902
The Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company, based in Stamford, Connecticut, produced an electric typewriter in 1902. This machine was a significant development in the history of typewriters, as it was the world's first fully electric typewriter.
Invented by George Canfield Blickensderfer, the typewriter was a technological and engineering success, but ultimately a commercial failure. This was due to the fact that electricity was not yet widely available during the daytime, as it was primarily used for lighting. The Blickensderfer Electric typewriter was powered by an Emerson electric motor, which was switched on by turning a Yale key on the side of the machine. It required 104 Volt 60 Hz AC electric current, which was not yet widely standardised.
The Blickensderfer typewriter was unique in several ways. Firstly, it used a cylindrical typewheel rather than individual typebars. This meant that depressing a key caused the typewheel to turn, positioning the correct letter over the paper. Secondly, it featured a scientific or DHIATENSOR keyboard layout. Blickensderfer analysed the English language and proposed a more efficient keyboard based on his research. He determined that the ten most frequently used letters were A, D, E, H, I, N, O, R, S, and T, and were used in about 70% of written text and 85% of all words. Unfortunately, no other typewriter manufacturer adopted this keyboard layout, and Blickensderfer was forced to offer the universal QWERTY keyboard on his machines as an option.
The Blickensderfer typewriter was also much smaller, lighter, and cheaper than other typewriters, weighing only 5 pounds. It had a distinctive wraparound space bar and was advertised as the "Five-Pound Secretary". It was first introduced in 1897 as the Blickensderfer No. 7, and about 63,000 of these machines were produced until 1916. The Blickensderfer Electric was first introduced at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo in 1901, and it is believed that it was produced from 1901 to 1919.
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IBM's first electric typewriter in 1933
The history of the electric typewriter dates back to the early 20th century, with significant developments occurring in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1924, the North East Electric Company acquired patent rights for the power roller from James Smathers, marking the beginning of the journey towards electric typewriters. Remington introduced the first electric typewriter based on Smathers's design in 1925, using a Northeast motor to power the typing function.
IBM, a renowned company in the typewriter industry, entered the electric typewriter market in the mid-1930s. Specifically, in 1935, IBM introduced its first electric typewriter, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of typing technology. This introduction was a significant milestone, as IBM would go on to dominate the electric typewriter market for decades.
IBM's initial electric typewriter, known as the Electromatic, built upon the foundation laid by Remington. The Electromatic used a conventional moving carriage and typebar mechanism, which differed from the fixed carriage and type ball featured in subsequent models, such as the IBM Selectric introduced in 1961. The Electromatic enjoyed long-term commercial success and played a crucial role in establishing IBM's presence in the electric typewriter industry.
The IBM Electromatic's history can be traced back to the early 1920s when the North East Electric Company, initially selling electric motors, aspired to venture into the typewriter business. They collaborated with Remington, resulting in the production of 2,500 machines based on Remington's model Number 12. The North East Electric Company manufactured the motor and power-roller base, while Remington contributed the typewriter portion. This partnership laid the groundwork for IBM's eventual development and success in the electric typewriter market.
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IBM's revolutionary breakthrough in 1961
Electric typewriters were introduced in the early 1900s, with Remington releasing the first electric typewriter in 1925. However, IBM's revolutionary breakthrough in 1961 with the invention of the IBM Selectric Typewriter was a significant milestone in the evolution of typewriters. This innovative product played a pivotal role in shaping the future of the typewriter industry and solidified IBM's dominance in the market for decades to come.
The IBM Selectric Typewriter was more than just a machine; it was a symbol of progress and innovation. IBM invested significant time and resources to address the longstanding issues with traditional typewriters, such as type bar jams and paper misalignment. The result was a typewriter that revolutionized the way people generated the written word.
At the heart of the IBM Selectric Typewriter was its unique design. Instead of the conventional type bars, it featured a spherical type element or a "golf-ball-shaped" type head. This innovative design eliminated the frustrating issue of jammed type bars, a common problem when typing quickly on traditional typewriters. With the new spherical type element, typists could strike multiple keys simultaneously without the fear of entanglement.
The Selectric offered unprecedented speed and accuracy. With 88 characters positioned around the spherical type element, it could print 186 words per minute, an impressive feat at the time. The rotating cam shaft allowed print characters to strike in rapid succession, just 20 milliseconds apart. The Selectric's keyboard was also ergonomically designed, with a flatter profile and a buckling spring mechanism that enhanced the typing experience.
The impact of the IBM Selectric Typewriter extended beyond its immediate success in the market. It quietly laid the foundation for future innovations, including word processing applications and computer terminals. The Selectric's elegant design, inspired by Olivetti typewriters in Italy, became a timeless icon of IBM's industrial design and product innovation. Its influence was such that it served as the basis for the keyboard input on the groundbreaking IBM System/360.
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The first electronic daisywheel typewriter in 1976
The evolution of the typewriter underwent a significant advance with the emergence of electric typewriters. These machines were essentially mechanical typewriters powered by an electric motor, with the typist initiating the keystroke, carriage motion, and other controls. The electric typewriter market was initially dominated by IBM, which released its electric typewriter in 1935 and maintained its dominance for the next two decades.
The first electronic daisywheel typewriter, the Olivetti Tes 501, was introduced in 1976. This machine replaced the traditional typeball with a plastic or metal daisy wheel mechanism, a disk with letters moulded on the outside edge of the "petals". The daisy wheel concept first emerged in printers developed by Diablo Systems in the 1970s, and Olivetti's 1976 release allowed the company to maintain its world record in the design of electronic typewriters.
The Olivetti Tes 501 was followed by the Olivetti ET101 in 1978, which featured a function display, and the Olivetti TES 401, which included a text display and floppy disk for memory storage. Unlike earlier models, these typewriters were truly "electronic", relying on integrated circuits and electromechanical components.
Daisy wheel printing, used in electronic typewriters, offered high-quality output comparable to premium typewriters like the IBM Selectric. By 1980, daisy wheel printers had become the dominant technology for high-quality text printing, impacting the market for manual and electric typewriters. However, the dominance of daisy wheel technology was short-lived due to the advent of affordable laser and inkjet machines, and the pervasive use of personal computers and web-based communication techniques.
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Frequently asked questions
James Fields Smathers of Kansas City invented what is considered the first practical power-operated typewriter in 1914.
Remington released its first electric typewriter in 1925, based on Smathers's design.
Remington's typewriter used a Northeast motor to power the typing function, so it did not use a typeball or a typewheel.
IBM entered the electric typewriter business in 1933 with the purchase of Electromatic Typewriters' production facilities. They released their first electric typewriter in 1935.
The most significant innovation was arguably the IBM Selectric Typewriter, released in 1961, which featured a spherical typeball instead of traditional typebars, eliminating the problem of keys getting jammed.
