TYPEWRITERS TAKING LICKING BUT KEEP ON CLICKING

Jack Mehner, owner of Advanced Business Systems, said his typewriter sales have dropped dramatically since computers became popular. He still sells a few typewriters, though.

We live in the Computer Age.

Want to bang out a letter to a customer? Find out if a bill was paid? Keep track of an employee's overtime?

Turn on a computer. They're everywhere.

The popularity of computers made some office machines nearly obsolete, especially typewriters. Tom Nations, owner of Hahs Office Equipment, estimated his last good year for typewriter sales was 1990. Now his cash register and office furniture business supports him.

Even big typewriter manufacturers like Brother had to diversify, and IBM sold its typewriter division to Lexmark.

"There was some resistance to computers at first, but not much anymore," Nations said. "I think even the people I've sold typewriters to this year own word processors."

Jack Mehner owns Advanced Business Systems and has been in the office equipment business for more than 40 years. He said his typewriter sales are down 85 percent from what they once were.

And Sonny Scheffer, a salesman for Superior Office Products, said his business had to escape damage from the computer invasion by selling a lot of new equipment. Now facsimile machines are big sellers, opening up a market that formerly didn't exist.

But all three businesses are still selling a few typewriters here and there. Their customers include banks, business offices and schools.

At most banks, customer service representatives don't use computers to open new accounts. They use a typewriter to print customers' information on forms.

In business offices, an administrative assistant may type a letter on a word processor, but it's still some trouble to set up a printer for envelopes. The assistant may turn to her trusty typewriter for that small task.

And many schools, including Cape Central High School, still use typewriters to teach keyboarding. A keyboard is a keyboard, officials reason, whether it is on a computer or a simple typewriter.

"A large factor is always going to be cost," Central Junior High Principal Gerald Richards said. "You can buy four or five typewriters for the cost of one computer, and you are just teaching fingering skills in typing."

Junior high students go from typing class to a computer applications course, working with AppleWorks and WordPerfect.

The office supply business owners said they don't see typewriters becoming obsolete until computers that scan in particular forms become cheaper.