I learned to type in high school and bought my Smith Corona Portable for $90 with money earned from my paper route and Theater job. I am not and never have been a fast typist but it's served me well over the years.
Yep same here..school. I was in the what was known as the Business economics class.. so we had a double period of typing every day.. as well as learning how to keep accounts etc...
Junior High on a Royal typewriter and taught by Mrs. Corbin who was also my dad’s typing teacher many years before me. According to her, my dad barely passed the course because he spent most of his class time outside the class door for uh, various reasons. I, on the other hand, passed with a typing speed of 85 WPM. I still wish these keyboards felt and sounded like my first typewriter and since @Ken Anderson showed off his retro keyboard about a year ago, I’m still looking to buy one when I can muster up the courage to spend the bucks.
I was in fourth grade, I think. My brother taught me how. When I finally took an actual typing class in 9th grade, I found that I wasn't doing it right but I could type more than a hundred words a minute and, by then, I couldn't learn another way to do it. I only use my little fingers on the home keys (a ; ) and use the adjacent finger for the other keys that I am supposed to be using the little finger for.
I never learned. Carried home a Royal Portable with my Mother when in 7th grade. The system was called "Touch", she said. I still hunt and peck to this day...... Frank
Never learned it. Bought a typewriter in my twenties and still hunt and peck. Takes me ages to write a post but keep trying hard so as not to disappoint anyone.
Personal Typing (101), for those not in the commercial (secretary/bookkeeping) track in high school. One semester course. But I could never learn to hit the numbers without peeking.
Three years of typing classes in high school on an electric typewriter that had an adjustable "key touch" on the keyboard. Could be adjusted where the keys had to be hit hard or where just a light touch on the key would do it. For years I typed my own resume' on an electric typewriter at local library. In 1987, I taught myself how to use a computer at another local library. In 1989, got my first job working in a Electronics Stockroom for a Medical Laser manufacturer, where all stockroom inventory was on computer. First computer program I ever used was Basic 4. Back in 2005, I done an online typing test, where Alien Spaceships were coming down from the top of the screen and I had to type the letters/numbers that was in the spaceship. Back then, and before then, typing speed was know as WPM aka Words Per Minute. A good typing speed was 55 wpm, but I got an 80 wpm on the Alien typing test. My fingers are basically long, just like my wife's. Now, as far as using the 10-Key on the lower right side of the keyboard, I'm not so fast at that, but do ok. However, my wife is very fast on a 10-Key and has had to use a 10-Key many times when she worked in Accounting. When I worked in Purchasing and Inventory Management, I had to use the 10-Key as well, but wasn't nearly as fast on one as she is. IOW, no "hunt and peck for me or her. My last Director/Supervisor was the "hunt and peck" type, but he sure could "hunt and peck", using either his middle fingers or his first fingers very fast. He wasn't much of a "hunter", since he knew where the keys were, but he sure "pecked" fast.
My brother gave me his typewriter when he bought a new one and I went through a series of them over the years, until they were replaced by computers.
@Nancy Hart When I worked at the tennis ball plant in Phoenix, my boss, the Plant Engineer, hired a secretary for our office who was the most incredible typist I could ever imagine. She typed 120 wpm easily, said she had hit 150, could listen to a dictated message with an earphone, type the note while carrying on a conversation with someone, and never miss a beat, or make a mistake. Her mind must have been as sharp as a computer! Frank
When I learned typing we had to double-space between sentences. .. Few online editors allow you to do that now....Makes long text look cramped. . Sometimes I even add dots with a white font to space things out.....Like this....
1972 hired by Merrill Lynch for the wire room. My boss Margaret hired me for my handwriting. Was excellent and she could read it. But then one day she sent me to type up invoices. I told her I can not type! She laughed and held up an index finger from each hand...you two if these don't you - do like I do and she was imaginary typing with those two fingers. Lolo. that is how I learned to type. Naturally I have improved over the years.