More Readers Write . . .

From Leo M, in response to the post on remembering typewriters, old public phones and old mobile phones . . .

I relate to all these things below Otto.

My mother meet my father when she worked as a telephonist at the Kandos telephone exchange, and I remember staying with a mate in the mid 1980’s at Gunning when his mother still operated the telephone exchange.

My first mobile phone I still have, was a Bosch that cost me $7500 in about 1990. I used to carry it around at night in case anybody attacked me. It was as long as a house brick and about one third as wide.

In 1985 I bought three Canon screen typewriter add-ons that allowed you to type 500 words on the screen at a time and then transfer it to your typewriter to print out. Each of those was I believe $5500 plus. 

The best use of a typewriter I can recall is in 1971 when I typed out an essay in my European history course. It was about the influence of Queen Christina of Sweden on European history. To impress my lecturer, I asked my sister to lend me her typewriter so I could type out my essay. All I can say is, there were so many mistakes in it including Queen Christina being referred to as “Queen Christmas” which drew the comment "This is too much." At the end I received a pass mark with the comment: "A very good essay spoilt by typing." I never typed another essay again.

Thanks, Leo.

Some thoughts and funnies about mobile telephones (cellphones if yopu are in the US):