Typewriter Development and Decline - Essay Example

Typewriter Development and Decline Name: Institution: Accounts of Typewriter Development and Decline Introduction It is believed that machines that are advanced under the influence of new technology are defined by their decomposition future. This is because modern media technologies tend not to last in the markets since engineers and researchers work continuously to try improving the latest arrival component in the market (Stern, 2007 p.19). Therefore, even the latest technology in media today might not last for longer in the sense that the moment a newer technology arrives, the current one might be considered outdated regardless of the time it has existed in the market. According to Jonathan Stern, obsolescence has become the major reason for disposal of properties today and not the ability for the technology to work like it has been the case in the ancient periods. However, the disposal of new modern technology is also influenced the arrival of new ones, the usefulness of the technology. This factor therefore implies that should new technology come with the above properties then the current ones are always trashed. Coincidentally, this became the case with typewriter since arrival of computers made it less useful and obsolete thus the need for it to be trashed. How “New” factor in Stern’s taxonomy led to the decline of typewriter The current understanding of the term new has slightly shifted in a way that is still significant to the understanding of the modern people. This is because during the ancient centuries, the term new media was largely understood as new with respect to alternative media (Chau, 2008, p. 22). However, the general modern understanding of this term focuses towards a comparison of modern digital forms to the older analogue forms. It is also argued that the current digital media technology such as computers do have a different model of newness, since newness in terms of computers refers to other forms of computers and not other forms of media. It can therefore be argued that the new factor in Stern’s taxonomy has some meaning; considering how the development of typewriter came to be and even towards its decline. To start with, typewriter itself as a form of media technology underwent a number of newer transformations in its context apart from succeeding an alternative form of media technology. This is so because; it superseded the pen in purposes of mass production of printed materials in places of work (Lapin, 2012). Alternatively, typewriter as form of media technology experienced a number of improvements in its basic making it become more effective and faster. Regarding this context, one can therefore argue that Stern’s taxonomy of newness in terms of improvising media technology was relevant. Eventually, emergence of computers, which became new media technology, superseded it thus revealing Stern’s nomenclature on newness in terms of substituting the media technology with a newer and improved one. This argument therefore leads to a general conclusion that disposal of media technology depends on the emergence of new technology as it has been in the case of typewriter transition to computer. This argument can therefore be supported by the fact that emergence of the computer as a new media technology resulted in the disposal of a typewriter. Influence of useful technology towards development and decline of typewriters Before the introduction of computers, typewriters were regarded as the best method of typing. Unfortunately, after computers were introduced under the influence of new technology, they became more useful and effective compared to the typewriters (Zittrain, 2008, p. 197). This factor therefore implies that by the time typewriters were regarded as the best mode of media technology, researchers and engineers were busy somewhere enquiring new ways of how to improve it and make it easier and more useful. This factor therefore adheres to Stern’s theory in the sense that researchers and engineers never stop conducting researches, which might influence the emergence of more useful and improved media technology (Stern, 2007 p.19). Generally, emergence of an improved media technology will make the new technology more efficient and more useful at the same time compared to the immediate out fashioned technology. Emergence of modernized technological devices of mass media is believed to have influenced the reduction of typewriters. For instance, computers serves many purposes compared to typewriters in that computer can be used for other purposes such as browsing, storage of data among others. This factor therefore lures many people to prefer computer to typewriter because of its multitasking nature (Winston, 1986, p.95). Consequently, the preference made towards computer by individuals, cause a deterioration of typewriter, which can be termed as its fair substitute. Considering the above arguments, the incorporation of Stern’s taxonomy about the research being conducted by engineers towards inventing fresh and more effective technology is evident. The taxonomy also has it that people will prefer more useful technology over the less useful thus placing the less useful one in a state of disposal. Subsequently, this has been the case with the typewriters, which have since been disposed after computers introduction. Obsolete factor in the case of typewriter deterioration Obsolescence refers to an action of disposing off something as a way of paving the path for a newer model of the same. According to Stern’s taxonomy, people have acquired the tendency of regarding media technology as outdated once a new technology arrives in the market. Therefore, various institutions have adopted the culture of producing new models in the market more frequently as a way of keeping the market fresh and updated (Stern, 2007 p.19). However, as much as obsolesce can be viewed as a positive factor in terms of marketing, social critical and environmental point of view depicts it as a waste of resources and environment since materials always get disposed off when they are still in good condition (Napoli, 2006, p. 104). Therefore, according to Stern’s taxonomy, disposal of materials that can still be used causes the deterioration of media technology, which takes a lot of time to change their models. This is because most people prefer items designed in accordance with the latest fashion. Considering the decline of typewriters, one can therefore argue that the existence of different designs of typewriters made people transform from using the outdated ones to the newer electronic ones, which were fashionable. For instance, the emergence of electronic typewriters, which were more fashionable, resulted in the decline of the older manual ones, which were regarded as outdated. This factor consequently resulted in the decline of the outdated typewriters since they were being disposed of the market (The classic typewriter page, (2012). On the other hand, the fact that computers manufactures do produce variety of models within a shorter span makes them attract many users compared to typewriters, which hardly comes in new designs. This is therefore implies that typewriters gets disposed off without any replacements as computers act as their substitute. Generally, a conclusion that can be arrived at regarding the above arguments is that obsolescence has influenced deterioration of typewriters in the market today. Influence of trash factor towards development and deterioration of typewriters According to Stern’s taxonomy, a property is classified as trash from the time it is moved from the indoor to outdoor and it is exposed to the elements that make it start to decay (Stern, 2007 p. 20) This view tries to show that an object can be categorized as an obsolete but does not qualify to be classified under trash. This is so because media technology or an item that has been categorized as an obsolete might still be having some value. For instance, in America, obsolete items are normally not trashed off instead they are donated or sold to middle-class citizens. This factor implies that unlike trash, obsolete technology still might be useful and contains some value. It can also be argued that disposal of items as trash might have influenced the decline of typewriters. This is evident since computer introduction of computers made the typewriters rendered useless and were stored by various people who never wanted to dispose them off. Alternatively, the stored typewriters could also be useless to the middle class citizens since they were in a position of accessing computers, which were availed to them by the high-class after emergence of new models in the market (Weller, 2013). It is also important to note that obsolescence of media technology influenced the availability of outdated computers among the middle class citizens. Therefore, this factor consequently made typewriter become irrelevant to the society since even the low-class members of the society were able to access computers. The irrelevancy of typewriters in modern life therefore leaves the owners of such machines without any choice if not to dispose them off as trash. In conclusion, trashing of typewriters has resulted in its reduction in the modern society. Conclusion Media technology has seen a lot of evolution over the recent past. This evolution has been necessitated by improved technology, which has seen the invention of more useful and effective media production facilities such as computers (Bagdikian, 2004 p. 88). On the other hand, Stern’s taxonomy has also revealed that changes in media technology are driven by some factors which include the newness of the technology, obsolete factor, and usefulness of the invented technology and trashing of the outdated and useless media technology such as typewriters. Regarding the influences of new technology towards changes in new technology, it is clear that typewriters have been widely replaced by the emergence of computers. Generally, the invention of computers has consequently resulted in reduction of typewriters in the society today. References: Stern, J. (2007). Out with trash: On the future of new media. In Residual media (pp. 17-31). London: University of Minnesota press. Chau, M. (2008). Evolution of new media technologies. Developing Design Parameters for a Digital Media Centre for the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. (PP. 22-44). Zittrain, J. (2008). The future of the internet and how to stop it. New Haven: Yale University Press. Winston, B. (1986). Misunderstanding media. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press Ithiel de Sola. (2011). Communication in Totalitarian Societies. Handbook of Communication. Chicago: Rand McNally.462-511 Napoli, P. (Ed). (2006). Media diversity and localism: meaning and metrics. Mahwah NJ: Erlbaum. Hellman, H. (2004). Great Feuds in Technology. Cambridge: MIT Pres Bagdikian, B. (2004). The New media monopoly. Boston: Beacon Press. Napoli, P. (2010 November). Audience Evolution: New Technologies and the Transformation of Media Audiences. Retrieved from http://newamerica.net/publications/books/audience_evolution_new_technologies_and_the_transformation_of_media_audiences Weller, C. (2013 May 4). The early history of typewriter. Retrieved from http://todayinsci.com/S/Sholes_Christopher/SholesChristopher-HistoryOfTheTypewriter.htm The classic typewriter page. (2012 May 27). A brief history of typewriters. Retrieved from http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-history.html Lapin, A. (2012 June 7). GSA to clear schedules of typewriters and other ‘outdated’ offerings. Retrieved from http://www.govexec.com/contracting/2012/06/gsa-clear-schedules-typewriters-and-other-outdated-offerings/56160/ Read More

Regarding this context, one can therefore argue that Stern’s taxonomy of newness in terms of improvising media technology was relevant. Eventually, emergence of computers, which became new media technology, superseded it thus revealing Stern’s nomenclature on newness in terms of substituting the media technology with a newer and improved one. This argument therefore leads to a general conclusion that disposal of media technology depends on the emergence of new technology as it has been in the case of typewriter transition to computer.

This argument can therefore be supported by the fact that emergence of the computer as a new media technology resulted in the disposal of a typewriter. Influence of useful technology towards development and decline of typewriters Before the introduction of computers, typewriters were regarded as the best method of typing. Unfortunately, after computers were introduced under the influence of new technology, they became more useful and effective compared to the typewriters (Zittrain, 2008, p. 197). This factor therefore implies that by the time typewriters were regarded as the best mode of media technology, researchers and engineers were busy somewhere enquiring new ways of how to improve it and make it easier and more useful.

This factor therefore adheres to Stern’s theory in the sense that researchers and engineers never stop conducting researches, which might influence the emergence of more useful and improved media technology (Stern, 2007 p.19). Generally, emergence of an improved media technology will make the new technology more efficient and more useful at the same time compared to the immediate out fashioned technology. Emergence of modernized technological devices of mass media is believed to have influenced the reduction of typewriters.

For instance, computers serves many purposes compared to typewriters in that computer can be used for other purposes such as browsing, storage of data among others. This factor therefore lures many people to prefer computer to typewriter because of its multitasking nature (Winston, 1986, p.95). Consequently, the preference made towards computer by individuals, cause a deterioration of typewriter, which can be termed as its fair substitute. Considering the above arguments, the incorporation of Stern’s taxonomy about the research being conducted by engineers towards inventing fresh and more effective technology is evident.

The taxonomy also has it that people will prefer more useful technology over the less useful thus placing the less useful one in a state of disposal. Subsequently, this has been the case with the typewriters, which have since been disposed after computers introduction. Obsolete factor in the case of typewriter deterioration Obsolescence refers to an action of disposing off something as a way of paving the path for a newer model of the same. According to Stern’s taxonomy, people have acquired the tendency of regarding media technology as outdated once a new technology arrives in the market.

Therefore, various institutions have adopted the culture of producing new models in the market more frequently as a way of keeping the market fresh and updated (Stern, 2007 p.19). However, as much as obsolesce can be viewed as a positive factor in terms of marketing, social critical and environmental point of view depicts it as a waste of resources and environment since materials always get disposed off when they are still in good condition (Napoli, 2006, p. 104). Therefore, according to Stern’s taxonomy, disposal of materials that can still be used causes the deterioration of media technology, which takes a lot of time to change their models.

This is because most people prefer items designed in accordance with the latest fashion. Considering the decline of typewriters, one can therefore argue that the existence of different designs of typewriters made people transform from using the outdated ones to the newer electronic ones, which were fashionable.

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