I’ve wondered if this is possible.
It would be interesting to see if software could be produced to create the sound of an old-fashioned typewriter key when you hit an ordinary key on the computer keyboard; as well as the subdued sound of the space bar, and a little bell ringing when the Enter key is pushed or the text wrapped around. Has anyone ever tried this?
I don’t know if it has been done (I would guess that it has), but I can’t imagine it would be at all difficult to make sounds like typewriter sounds come out of the speakers as keys were struck. (I would not know quite where to start on a PC, myself, but I think I could have done it on my old BBC Micro, and I have no doubt a PC programmer could do it easily). The only real problem with getting verisimilitude wold be the sounds made by the actual keyboard itself. The illusion would be greatest if the actual keyboard were very quiet.
My fiend had a Monty Python game that installed a feature that would turn each key into a different fart or burp sound. Very funny if you’re a stoner student watching your roommate attempting to write an essay. Otherwise a bit ridiculous.
Reproducing the sound wouldn’t be too difficult, but getting a PC to shake the desk would require major modifications.
You could always type along with this. (Don’t forget the “yank out the paper” gesture at the end.)
A zillion years ago there was a System Extension for the Mac that did just this. It worked great (the sounds were digitized from an actual typewriter), but it got old really fast.
P.S. The bell rings when you reach the right margin, not when you activate the carriage return, which made a much richer sound.
you would also keep having to pick up the monitor off the floor.
Sounds like it could be a fun gag, but not enough that I’d want to pay money for it.
Sounds almost as fun as replacing a ribbon on a regular typewriter with a roll of toy pistol caps!
You can get a mechanical keyboard with MX Blue or MX Green switches. It doesn’t have quite as full of a “clack” sound, because it’s not moving any pieces of type, but they’re preeeeeetty clacky. Clacky enough that you will annoy anyone around you.
I’ve got a keyboard with Cherry MX Blue switches. It sounds nothing like a typewriter. It does sound fairly similar to an IBM buckling-spring keyboard.
Nearly reported a two year old post. Darn Zombies!
In that clip Jerry makes the common mistake of doing the carriage return with his right hand. I don’t imagine he is using an Arabic script.
Came in here to say the same. Macintosh System 4 or 6 era. TappyType. Mentioned on this page about 2/3 of the way down
Click clack click as you typed and a kaCHUNK-bing!! when you hit the Return key.
I have Qwertick on my PC. It’s free download, basic typewriter sounds. Some of the young folk have no idea what that sound it. For those of you missing the sounds of something more technologically advanced than a typewriter here’s an on-line keypunch machine.
Tom Hanks was on some talk show recently plugging an phone app that made typewriter sounds. IIRC he might have had something to do with financing its creation.
Not exactly the same thing, but I have seen a smart phone app that installs a (virtual) rotary dialer on the touch screen of your phone. Dowloaded it, used it, was mildly amused, then deleted it.