Typewriters

Room 328 is home to ten useless black hulks of metal some people call “computers.” They are undeserving of this name. Three refuse to turn on. The other seven take between twenty and thirty minutes to become even remotely useful. They all need to go.

            The problem is, with what do we replace them? Even buying cheap computers (which will themselves become obsolete in the next five years) will cost around 4,000 dollars. The school committee recently raised the concern that much of the technology will become obsolete at the same time, and at 4,000 dollars a room, this will certainly strain the budget.

            Fortunately, there is a much cheaper solution to room 328. The students who attempt vainly to use these computers are mostly in Journalism. They need to type articles for the school blog and paper. Instead of buying cheap computers that break down or slow to the pace of a snail every few years, the school can invest in typewriters.

            There are many advantages to buying typewriters. The first, and most obvious, is the cost. Ten typewriters would cost around 600 dollars. That is 3,400 dollars in savings, right off the bat. But typewriters will also save money in the future. They do not slow down when they get software updates they are not equipped to handle, because they have no software. When they break down, they are easier to replace individually, because they do not need to be hooked up to a computer network.

            Also, they will keep students more on task. A typewriter, as the name implies, is meant only for typing. A student cannot check emails or play games on a typewriter.

            When students finish their articles, they can type them up on their (working) computers at home, and email them to the journalism class. This adjustment will not add much to students’ workloads, because the articles are already written, they just need to be retyped. And with the typewriters, the journalism students will be doing much more typing, so they will be practiced enough to type fast.

            There is no need to sink money into expensive computers that lose their worth in ten years. Typewriters are a cheaper, more effective solution to room 328’s technology problem.

By: Emma Morrison