Manual and Electric Machine WPM?

[Anonymous]

on a job application I'm asked my words per minute on a manual & electric machine, and also short hand...what's the difference between manual & electric machine? I'm sure manual is typing, but electric? I'm lost here...

[jacquesvol]

"manual & electric machine" probably refers to typewriters: older ones were purely mechanical "manual" link

Professional typists started using electric machines during the 50-ies and 60-ies. However, many offices still used mechanical machines then. Electronic machines with interchangeable font tupes, like the IBM and Olivetti came later ( 70-ties)

10 years later the personal computer took the market and made all that obsolete.

Anecdotic: I've still a 'manual' one in it's box, somewhere in a corner: nice machine, well constructed (nearly indestructible), this type: link It dates from the 60-ties.

[jacquesvol]

Those IBM Selectric were really good machines link My secretary used one 8h/day. I regularly did some things on it too, after 05 pm

[jacquesvol]

better link for my first answer link

[lothanks]

Are they separate questions ?

Manual types what you push.

Electric/computer, you can go back if you make a mistake. You can pre-type before you print to the impact system.

Some types of works still requires carbon paper and requires the use of typewriter. It can't be aligned using an impact printer.

They expect electric to be faster if separate questions.

[Thiezz]

Are they seriously still using typewriters? What company is this?

[Asker]

i'm not sure? ha. I don't think so...it's just a vet's office.

[Asker]

i'm not sure? ha...it's just a vet's office.

[eithyy]

Probably refers to typewriters versus computers.