I wrote my papers in college with one of these, then used them in my first job in a newspaper newsroom. I'll never forget the noise of 100 typewriters hammering away before the deadline. A modern newsroom seems like a tomb in comparison.

Using a typewriter was like taking photos with a film camera. Each page required such an investment that you worked really hard to get it right the first time. Then on the second draft, since you had to retype everything anyway, you were a lot more likely to completely recast a passage that needed it, instead of just moving words around a bit. I think typewriters made me a better writer.