Thursday, February 6, 2014

Typecasting by iPhone





PS: While fooling around further, I managed to delete the original version of this post! Here it is again, and here is a comment from Rob Bowker:

"Cutting edge stuff! Blogging by brick doesn't really work - apart from plain text so I'll have to stick with heavier-weight tech until the inevitable arrival of a smartphone. Mind you, Joe's set-up is pretty neat with his Lumix/iPad combination."

13 comments:

  1. Oh, I know your pain with trying to blog with the iPhone. They're great at what they are for - casual communicators, but not so good with heavy lifting. I use my iphone to do quick photos for my blog, and the blogger app is nice for editing existing blogs on the fly, but I have have only written one complete blog on my iphone, and it was by far the least preferable method.

    And thanks for the repost! I really love these machines. And you know what? Two more Rhienmetall typewriters turned up yesterday.

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  2. Apple makes great products, but they are designed more for consumption than creation. That's a shame. To think that empires are made tossing angry birds. Startling actually.

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    1. I would disagree. The Mac has always been a very powerful creative tool, and even Apple's touch-screen devices can be used in creative ways. It's just that writing and editing is a very clumsy business without a real keyboard, mouse, or menus.

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    2. For me it is more a question of actual use: how do people actually use their devices? I own a MacBook Air, a Mini, and an iPhone (and I use a school-owned iPad). With these I writer stories and manage several blogs. But, what is the average user doing? Further, does Apple make it easier to consume or create? Obviously, their computers are powerful creation tools, but their handheld devices (the core of their business?) not so much. When I owned an iPad, I grew frustrated with its limitations. It simply wasn't a good device for creating content: only a few bluetooth keyboards connected with it; no mouse support (that is really important), and the file system is app dependent. My mother bought an iPad recently, thinking she'd use it as a laptop substitute, but quickly found that setup unworkable. Now, she owns a MacBook Air too. She loves her iPad, but it just didn't work well as a laptop substitute. I think that is part of Apple's thinking.

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    3. I disagree as well. The problem isn't the Apple side of the product, but rather Google's implementation of their 'blogger' app, which is rather half-baked, while the blogger web-page is using aging versions of HTML that don't work well with mobile devices.

      I've done several blogs on my iPad, and I've been more let down by Blogger than the Ipad. When it comes to blogging on Wordpress, the iPad version is brilliant.

      Also, all blue-tooth keyboards connect with the ipad. I've succeed with every one I've tried. As opposed to the android and windows boxes, which seem to have an awfully hard time.

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  3. I agree, using my iPod touch w/ WiFi is a pain in the blogging department, but that's what the Chromebook is for. It cost a little more than the iPod but is much easier to blog with; I use it often for typing long documents because of its quick speed and insane (~8-9 hr.) battery life.

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  4. I don't have an iPhone. Doubt I ever will. One day I may find a Rheinmetall though. That's a nice looking typewriter. The y & z do not look too far out of alignment.

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  5. iPhones and typewriters go together like peas and carrots: (1) photographing them (2) photographing typecasts when I'm too lazy to scan them in (3) flashlight when tinkering if I'm too lazy to get my proper torch (4) quick access to the serial number data-bases when a new machine arrives and I'm too excited to wait for the computer to boot up.

    Never tried to blog with an iphone though, I should imagine it's torture. Fine looking Rheinmetall, they look so regal.

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  6. The only thing on my iPhone I have been completely (well almost completely) successful in using so far is the camera (and that includes texting and phone calls!). I may try using the camera on a typecast. Wish me luck! BTW, I'm old enough to remember using operator-connected calls and trunk calls, and I'm still not convinced we've advanced all that far.

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  7. Would love to know how you swapped the Y and Z typebars. The angle of the slugs must be different, no? I have a Hermes Rocket with QWERTZ keyboard I'd like to do that to. Any info you can spare would be appreciated, Richard.

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    1. The typebars pull out really easily, and pop right back in, which made this project tempting. (Keys are also easily swapped.) Yes, the slugs are at different angles, so I had to bend them, and that affected the vertical position. In order to bring the Z down a little, I bent the typebar so it was slightly zigzagged. Then it literally took hours to get the typebars to fit perfectly in the type guide without binding. It was a tough job, and a very unprofessional way to do things, so I look back on it with some embarrassment.

      On your Hermes, I don't think the typebars come out so handily. You probably have to remove a curved rod that runs through the segment and skewers all the typebars. That's the way it works on most typewriters.

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  8. The quickest and the best way is to unsolder and then re-solder the type slugs as appropriate. Believe me it is far far better thing that you do rather than to try to form type bars. Looking at your typecast , the letters in question do not look all that good., myself, I would be tempted to do a re-soldering job.

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    1. You are certainly right, that is the best way. It wouldn't be the quickest for me at the moment, because I don't have the equipment and skill. But I won't be using this crude typebar-swapping method again.

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