Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Other

World’s last typewriter factory closing its doors

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
April 27, 2011
in Other

Nostalgia time folks; you might want to sit down for this, because this time it’s the typewriter edition. The last typewriter factory (yes, it still existed in 2011), Godrej & Boyce in Mumbai, India, is closing its doors.

A little typewriter history

The first typewriter was invented less than 150 years ago, in 1870, and in the early and mid 1900s, they were used by everybody who was somebody; from writers and columnists to lawyers and students, everybody who wanted to write something used a typewriter. They were absoultely indispensable tools, and were sold by numerous grand companies, including IBM, among others. They are responsible for creating the QWERTY keyboard we see today on pretty much every device, from computers to phones. There were a lot of different models, starting from the Remington, to the Caligraph, and later on IBM selectric models and the Smith Coroona.

They rocked the world for about a century, but as computers were invented and continued to improve, typewriters lost more and more ground and finally, became obsolete in the West. In the East however, things were a little different; well, not exactly different, but just a few decades later. It took almost half of a century before typewriters were widely used in India for example, which is why their factories lasted so much longer.

Last typewriter factory closing its doors

The Godrej and Boyce typewriter factory reported selling just fewer than 1000 units, which is less than 10 times what they sold a year before.

“From the early 2000s onward, computers started dominating,” Godrej & Boyce’s general manager of operations Milind Dukle told the Business Standard. “All the manufacturers of office typewriters stopped production, except us. [Until] 2009, we used to produce 10,000 to 12,000 machines a year.”

When it was founded in the 1950s, it was labeled a “symbol of independent and industrialized India”, and less than 50 years from that, one of the company’s plants was morphed into a refrigerator factory. A few years from that, the whole factory shut down. It’s been a while since I used a typewriter, and if you’re younger than 40, the odds are you’ve never ever used one, or never even seen one, but they were definitely something; and now, even though they will be discontinued and will only be seen in personal collections and museums, typewriters will still continue to shape the world, and their legacy, the keyboard, can be seen in every computer or smartphone we use today.

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Researchers capture sound from atoms, opening new doors to quantum research
  2. Scientists force mice into hibernation-like state, open doors for suspended animation in humans
  3. A Chinese factory replaced 90% of its employees with robots – production soared soon after
  4. China builds massive cloning factory to feed its people
  5. The coronavirus crisis highlights the urgency of closing the broadband gap
Tags: keyboardqwertytypewriter

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW