Typewriters may be a machine from the past, but one thing remains the same with the computers of today – the key layout.  The first-ever typewriters had keys that were laid out alphabetically, but this caused the metal bars to get tangled when used quickly.  A newspaper editor in Wisconsin came up with keyboard layout we use today (called "qwerty") to increase the speed and ease of typing.

For a long time silk was used for the ink ribbon, and about five years after the typewriter hit the market, the 'shift key' model was developed.

The Italian typist, Michele Santelia, holds the Guinness World Record for typing 3,204,764 words (58 books) backwards.  He used four blank keyboards with his computer and he didn't even look at the screen.  It's never too late to start practicing to be the next famous typist.

Newsletter July 2008, page 4