HARLAN RICHARDS
December 19, 2017

My Broken Typewriter

Where have I been for the last few months? Why haven't I posted any blogs? I'd like to say that I was sailing around the world in a 40-foot sailboat, but the truth is much less exciting than that. My typewriter is broken and I sent it out to get it fixed. Why not just buy a new one, you may ask? After all, I'm paying $100 to get a $125 typewriter fixed, a 10-year-old typewriter.

Because the Wisconsin DOC has placed restrictions on the purchase of new typewriters. If I want a new one, I must pay $225 for a clear plastic SWINTEC typewriter, which is one of the lowest quality machines in the market. It is the only one I'm allowed to buy because it is the only one available in clear plastic. SWINTEC sells other better typewriters, but they have additional functions, such as memory, which the DOC does not want us to have.

We are forced to purchase and use outdated 20th century technology. For the price of a SWINTEC, I could buy a laptop.

We were supposed to be allowed to purchase tablets for email, music, etc. But thus far, that has been delayed again and again. I was hoping that I could do word processing on the tablet, but that won't be possible for the foreseeable future. So I finally had to spend my tablet money to fix my typewriter.

The current projected date for tablets is summer 2018, but I won't hold my breath. It seems the DOC got what they wanted. They can brag that they provide email for us, but keep it so limited that it is essentially useless. The tablets, when they do arrive, will probably be so limited that they'll make a better paperweight than a technical device. But that's just me being cynical. It won't be that bad. I'm just disappointed and frustrated because I have to get my typewriter repaired and continue using it.

This blog post is being typed on a library typewriter. My typewriter should be back soon. So in spite of the problems, I am grateful that I'm allowed to have a typewriter and soon I'll be submitting a batch of blog posts (I've written them, just waiting to type them up).