I collect antique "technology" and have a couple of these along with Comptometers, a Golden Gem, and an Odhner. It really is amazing when you look at how these

I collect antique "technology" and have a couple of these along with Comptometers, a Golden Gem, and an Odhner. It really is amazing when you look at how these things work. I also used to collect late 1800's typewriters but they were taking up too much room. What amazes me about antique tech is that the ergonomics and the engineering were inter-meshed. Today we can put a button and a chip anywhere so the design and engineering are quite separate as long as one accommodates the other. But if you look at for example a mechanical typewriter, the entire thing is engineered to function in an ergonomic sense as well. Not only does the lever have to work, it has to require not too much force to activate, strike the ribbon with enough force to transfer ink, return to position quickly, avoid the other levers in their paths of motion, while all being arranged in such a way as to fit our big meaty hands comfortably. It truly is a lost art form.