Carreras

No, not the Spanish tenor ... ... portable electronic typewriters manufactured by (and for) AEG Olympia in the mid 1980s. Advertising outside Germany is hard to find. Although I did find this Icelandic ad from August 1987: An attractive '80s wedge alongside an attractive '80s hairstyle? What could be nicer? What would be better is … Continue reading Carreras →

The Electronic AEG

Come the dawn of the electronic age, Olympia made some attempt, initially, to retain the look, if not the feel, of the typewriters that came before. Some continuity of design is evident in the "Whisperdisc" ES and ESW series of the early 1980s ... Olympia ES-101 (above) Above, An Olympia ESW-105 Ad (Canada June 1983) … Continue reading The Electronic AEG →

Typing on the Moon

I was impressed by Sam Rockwell's performance in the 2009 Sc-fi classic Moon. Early on in the story, the logo (and the name) of Sam's employer Lunar Industries reminded me of Litton Industries: Granted, they're not identical, but that's what came to mind. The likeness (or otherwise) may not be entirely coincidental. After-all, a division of Litton Industries, Litton Space Systems, designed … Continue reading Typing on the Moon →

The Sixth Element

I've discovered a sixth element, to go with the five golf ball print elements I already own... I'm not sure what the two numbers on the cap relate to. Three holes on the cap allow the ball to be secured on a plastic base ... Before being encased ... The Olympia "i" logo on the … Continue reading The Sixth Element →

A Whole New Ball Game

Goodness gracious great balls o' type, who would have thought there were so many golf ball typewriter variants? IBM were keen to develop and maintain a strong presence in Japan (a case of keeping your friends close, and your enemies closer). It's hardly surprising then, that perhaps the most Selectric-like of all the Selectric clones is … Continue reading A Whole New Ball Game →