May 6, 2012

HP Laser Printer Repair Services of Maryland, D.C and Virginia

Filed under: Uncategorized — AleksandrasCRX @ 7:33 pm

Fast On-site HP Design Jet Plotter, HP MFP Repairs, HP LaserJet and Laser Printer Repair service Silver Spring, Adelphi, Kensington, Bethesda, Rockville, Columbia in Maryland!

HP Certified Laser Printer Repair Experts of Kensington Office Machines, Specializes in onsite HP LaserJet printer repairs, laser-jet Fax maintenance as well as HP Design Jet plotter service!

Kensington Office Machines is your best option in Laser Printer Services and its technicians are Certified HP LaserJet printer repair Service. We are Hewlett Packard Authorized laser-Jet printer repair specialist of Silver Spring, Rockville, Bethesda, Bowie, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Adelphi, Lanham, Columbia, Washington, D.C and Virginia. Our professional printer service team specializes on laser printer repair and maintenance service on HP Color LaserJet as well as LaserJet MFP, Design Jet plotter and laserjet fax repairs.

We are based in Kensington and Silver Spring of Maryland providing Hewlett-Packard Laser Printer Repair and onsite service on HP LaserJet, Color LaserJet printer, Okidata printers, Canon Copiers, Xerox printers and Copiers repair since 2002. Multipoint printer cleaning is done by Hewlett-Packard trained technician on every printer repair service.
Over 20 years of fast onsite HP LaserJet and Color LaserJet printer repair and service within Prince Georges, Montgomery County and Washington D.C. Our technicians are experts at fixing/repairing laser printer failure with errors and hardware printer malfunctions. One source for your entire laser printer repair as well as HP LaserJet toner cartridges and used HP Laser-Jet printer sale.
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First time Customers receive a $25 Discount on labor for onsite HP Printer Repair Service, Print the Coupon online!
Great news for customers who needs maintenance agreement and their HP laser printers fixed right away, we provide prompt on-site printer service by our HP Certified Printer and plotter repair experts!
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Laser Printer Services of Kensington Office Machines is your best source for your prompt service on all your Laser Printers and Copier repair. Our technicians provide fast on-site printer maintenance service!

We stock most common HP Laser printer, Design Jet plotter, and Copier repair parts to eliminate equipment repair delays!
• No Hidden Charges, hourly fees or travel fees to get your printer fixed.
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• NO hourly labor charges for most common printer failures or errors.
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HP LaserJet repair team of Kensington Office Machines will keep you printing on hardware printer issues, printer service error code, printer driver issues or network printer settings!
Our certified printer technicians are HP experts, trained to provide superior-quality HP LaserJet printer service and repairs.
• On-site LaserJet printer service
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• Complete LaserJet printer repair on the first visit
• Carry major parts to get your printer, printing again
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Best Laser printer repair Company of Silver Spring, Kensington and Washington, D.C with prompt onsite HP printer, Laser Printers and HP plotter maintenance!
Kensington Office Machines has been repairing HP LaserJet Printer for over 20 Years with fast onsite service!
• HP Laser/LaserJet Printer Repair Silver Spring
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• HP LaserJet MFP, HP multi-function printer services Kensington, Adelphi, Rockville, Behesda and Columbia
• HP Color LaserJet Multifunction Printer Repair
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Save HUGE on HP LaserJet printer at discount pricing includes a FREE printer support and setup!
New HP laserJet printer sales include a Free HP Toner Cartridge and onsite warranty on parts & labor!
• LaserJet and color laser Printer sale.
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• We provide 1 year onsite printer warranty on Every HP refurbish printer we sell
• We use ONLY Genuine Hewlett Packard Fuser kits/ m-Kits
• We sell Original HP Laserjet toner cartridges.
• HP laserjet Toner Cartridge price for less
• HP laserjet printer cartridge at low prices
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LaserJet printer repair Specialist and DesignJet plotter Experts of Kensington Office Machines serving Maryland, Washington, D.C and Virginia !

Kensington Office Machines on-site printer repair service team repairing HP LaserJet’s, Color LaserJet, HP Design Jet Plotters and MFP’s!
• Certified HP Laser-Jet printer and plotter repair
• Hewlett Packard LaserJet repair In MD, DC & VA
• Onsite service on HP printer, LaserJet fax and Mfp repair
• We will fix your broken LaserJet printer & fax for less
• Leader in Maryland for HP laser Printer Repair
• HP Toners at discount prices in the U.S and online
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Why use Kensington Office Machines for all your
HP LaserJet printer service and laser printer repair needs?
Reliable source for all your HP printer and Design Jet plotter repairs, original HP LaserJet printer Cartridges and toner printer sales!
• Our leadership in the laserjet printer repair industry gives you the quality printer service.
• We strive to be the best at HP laser printer service with excellent onsite warranty.
• Fast on-site printer service will save you time and money.
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Kensington Office Machines provide fast onsite service on HP LaserJet printers and Design Jet plotters in Maryland, Washington, D.C and Virginia by Zip Code!
Quick on-site LaserJet Printer repair service at your home or Office!
• Call Kensington Office Machines at 301-946-0800 or 301-408-0700 or request service online at
www.kensingtonofficemachines.com

April 12, 2012

Kensington Office Machines wins bid to service D.C Courts

Kensington Office Machines wins competitive bid to support District of Columbia Courts in regards to supplies and Maintenance.

Silver Spring, MD; April 2012, Kensington Office Machines, one Washington’s leading providers of government professional office equipment maintenance solutions, has been awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) by the District of Columbia Courts. The BPA covers a one year period with no annual ceiling.

Kensington Office Machines is committed to helping the D.C Courts including the D.C Superior court, meet their service needs and requirements. Jimmy Fasusi, President of Kensington of Machines stated in a news briefing that the D.C Courts will be an important contractual vehicle for expanding our presence in Washington, DC. We are honored that the D.C Courts has confidence in our ability to provide the necessary Office equipment maintenance and collaboration solutions needed to support its important role in D.C and saving GSA on its maintenance cost while maximizing equipment uptime.

Kensington Office Machines is well equipped for the given task. Kensington Office Machines is well versed in this arena with our track record of working with the federal agencies including the Department of Defense, National Institute of Health (NIH), Labor Department, Department of Commerce, FDA, CDC, The State department, Federal Election Commission and The White House is a plus for our organization.

According to the BPA terms, Kensington Office Machines will maintain the D.C courts office equipment with a quick response at a short notice with high quality services. The service includes sales and services of Laser printers, Fax Machines, Copiers, Typewriters, Plotters, Scanners, Shredders and Time Recorders.

About Kensington Office Machines:
Kensington Office Machines has been in business for over twenty (20) years. Kensington Office Machines specializes in the sales and maintenance of Office Equipment with an online presence. Our website is open 24Hrs – www.kensingtonofficemachines.com. Kensington Office Machines is certified with the Department of Transportation in Maryland with MBE/DBE #11-138. Our headquarters is located in Silver Spring, Maryland with a second location in Kensington, Maryland. Kensington Office Machines specializes in HP Laser Printer, HP Printer Repair, HP Printer Maintenance, Printer Service, Laser Printers, Toner Cartridges, Print Heads, Inkjet and Rapid Response Service. Kensington Office Machines has a special alliance with Okidata in terms of Okidata printer cartridges, Okidata printer repair, Okidata printer ribbons, Okidata printer toner, Okidata printer supply, Okidata printer service, Okidata printer parts, Okidata printer repair service. Kensington Office Machines services and sells Acer Laptops, Toshiba Laptops, Royal Products, HP, Canon, Swintecs Typewriters, Lenovos, and many more. For further enquiries, please visit our website –www.kensingtonofficemachines.com or write us: cs@kensingtonofficemachines.com.

Source:
KENSINGTON OFFICE MACHINES

August 29, 2011

Silver Spring Real Estate Agent

Filed under: Uncategorized — AleksandrasCRX @ 10:34 pm

Welcome to the exciting Silver Spring, Maryland real estate market. Are you in the market to settle down in the greater Silver Spring area? Need help finding an investment property or need help selling your home in Silver Spring? The fasusi team is here to be of service. www.fasusi.com is a subsidiary of X-Class Corporation.

Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.

The urbanized, oldest, and southernmost part of Silver Spring is a major business hub that lies at the north apex of Washington, D.C. As of 2004, the Central Business District (CBD) held 7,254,729 square feet (673,986 m2) of office space, 5216 dwelling units and 17.6 acres (71,000 m2) of parkland. The population density of this CBD area of Silver Spring was 15,600 per square mile all within 360 acres (1.5 km2) and approximately 2.5 square miles (6 km2) in the CBD/downtown area. The community has recently undergone a significant renaissance, with the addition of major retail, residential, and office developments.

Silver Spring takes its name from a mica-flecked spring discovered there in 1840 by Francis Preston Blair, who subsequently bought much of the surrounding land. Acorn Park, tucked away in an area of south Silver Spring away from the main downtown area, is believed to be the site of the original spring.

Parks and recreation

Rock Creek Park passes along the west side of Silver Spring, and offers hiking trails, picnic grounds, and bicycling on weekends, when its main road, Beach Drive, is mostly closed to motor vehicles.

Sligo Creek Park follows Sligo Creek through Silver Spring; it offers hiking trails, tennis courts, playgrounds and bicycling. The latter is facilitated on weekends, when parts of Sligo Creek Parkway are closed to autos. The bike trails are winding and slower than most in the region. Recently, rocks have been spread along either side of the road, providing a hazardous bike ride, or skating leisure.

Acorn Park in the downtown area of Silver Spring is believed to be the site of the eponymous “silver spring”.

The 14.5-acre (59,000 m2) Jesup Blair Park was recently renovated and has a soccer field, tennis courts, basketball courts, and picnic area.

Brookside Gardens is a 50-acre (20 ha) park within Wheaton Regional Park, in “greater” Silver Spring. It is located on the original site of Stadler Nursery (now in Laytonsville, Maryland).

Culture

Downtown Silver Spring hosts several entertainment, musical, and ethnic festivals, the most notable of which are the Silverdocs documentary film festival held each June and hosted by Discovery Communications and the American Film Institute, as well as the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade (Saturday before Thanksgiving) for Montgomery County. The Silver Spring Jazz Festival has become the biggest event of the year drawing 20,000 people to the free festival held on the second Saturday in September. Featuring local jazz artists and a battle of high school bands, the Silver Spring Jazz Festival has featured such jazz greats as Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval and such bands as the Mingus Big Band and the Fred Wesley Group.

Dining in Silver Spring is also extremely varied, including American, African, Burmese, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Italian, Mexican, Salvadoran, Jamaican, Vietnamese, Lebanese, and fusion restaurants, as well as many national and regional chains.

Silver Spring has many churches, synagogues, temples, and other religious institutions, including the World Headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Silver Spring serves as the primary urban area in Montgomery County and its revitalization has ushered in an eclectic mix of people and ideas, evident in the fact that the flagship high school (Montgomery Blair High School) has no majority group with each major racial and ethnic group claiming a significant percentage.

Silver Spring hosts the American Film Institute Silver Theatre and Culture Center, on Colesville Road. The theatre showcases American and foreign films. Discovery Communications, a cable TV and satellite programming company, has its headquarters in downtown, as well. Gandhi Brigade, a youth development media project, began in Silver Spring out of the Long Branch neighborhood. Docs in Progress, a non-profit media arts center devoted to the promotion of documentary filmmaking is located at the “Documentary House” in downtown Silver Spring. Silver Spring Stage , an all-volunteer community theater, performs in Woodmoor, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north up Colesville Road from the downtown area. Downtown Silver Spring is also home to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that includes the National Weather Service; the American Nurses Association; and numerous real estate development, biotechnology, and media and communications companies.

If you arev in the market to buy, you can either choose among the neighborhoods in the central area, which includes Downtown Silver Spring, Silver Spring Park, Woodside, Montgomery Hills, Blair Portal, and Seven Oaks; or among those outside the central area, like Capitol View Park, Forest Glen, Rock Creek Forest, Rosemary Hills, Stonegate, Hillandale, Norcross and White Oak. For all your Silver Spring Homes for Sale, X-Class Corporation and www.fasusi.com will provide you with excellent and professional service. For more information about the Silver Spring real estate market, Silver Spring Condominium, Silver Spring Homes, Silver Spring Homes for sale, Silver Spring Maryland Homes, Silver Spring Realtors, Silver Spring MD Homes for sale, Silver Spring MD Real Estate and a free market analysis, contact the Fasusi team.

August 6, 2011

Possible Health Hazards From Laser Printer Particle Emissions

08/06/11- Kensington Office Machines

Certain laser printers used in offices and homes release tiny particles of toner-like material into the air that people can inhale deep into lungs where they may pose a health hazard, scientists are reporting. Their study appeared in the online issue of the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T), a semi-monthly journal.

Lidia Morawska, Ph.D., and colleagues in Australia classified 17 out of 62 printers in the study as ‘high particle emitters’ because they released such elevated quantities of particles, which the researchers believe to be toner, the ultrafine powder used in laser printers instead of ink to form text and images. One of the printers released particles into an experimental chamber at a rate comparable to the particle emissions from cigarette smoking, the report stated.

Thirty-seven of the 62 printers, on the other hand, released no particles that diminished air quality. Six released only low levels, and 2 medium levels. All printers were monitored in an open office, and the researchers recorded data on three laser printers in an experimental chamber. The study included popular models in the U. S. and Australia sold internationally under the Canon, HP Color Laserjet, Ricoh and Toshiba brand names.

Most of the printer-generated particles detected were ultrafine, Morawska said, explaining that such contaminants are easily inhaled into the smallest passageways of the lungs where they could pose ‘a significant health threat.’ Previous studies have focused on emissions of volatile organic compounds, ozone, and toner particles from office printers and copiers. However, the research left broad gaps in scientific understanding of particle emissions and airborne concentrations of particles, the report noted.

Morawska and colleagues, who are with the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, initially were not trying to close that knowledge gap. “It wasn’t an area that we consciously decided to study,” Morawska said in an interview. “We came across it by chance. Initially we were studying the efficiency of ventilation systems to protect office settings from outdoor air pollutants. We soon realized that we were seeing air pollution originating indoors, from laser printers.”

The study found that indoor particle levels in the office air increased fivefold during work hours due to printer use. Printers emitted more particles when operating with new toner cartridges, and when printing graphics and images that require greater quantities of toner.

Funded by Queensland Department of Public Works and The Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, the ES&T report includes a list of the brands and models in the study classified by amount of particles emitted. As a result of the study, the scientists are calling on government officials to consider regulating emission levels from laser printers. “By all means, this is an important indoor source of pollution,” Morawska said. “There should be regulations.”

The health effects from inhaled ultrafine particles depend on particle composition, but the results can range from respiratory irritation to more severe illnesses, such as cardiovascular problems or cancer, Morawska said. “Even very small concentrations can be related to health hazards,” she said. “Where the concentrations are significantly elevated means there is potentially a considerable hazard.”

Larger particles also could be unhealthy without reaching the deepest parts of the lung. “Because they are larger,” Morawska added, “they contain more mass and can carry more toxins into the body. No matter how you look at it, there could be problems.”

Morawska said that more research on the health effects of inhaling printer-generated particles is needed. As a first step to lower risk, people should ensure that rooms in offices or houses are well ventilated to allow airborne particles to disperse.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
—————————-Kensington Office Machines services Laser Printers, Copiers, Fax Machines, Shredders, Typewriters, Computers and Laptops. Laser Printer services or repair in Maryland, Typewriter services in Maryland, Washington, D.C and Virginia – Fast onsite repair or in Shop at a lower price. Wheaton, Silver Spring, Kensington, Olney, Bethesda, Rockville, Aspen Hill, Gaithersburg, Langley Park, Takoma Park, Chevy Chase, Burtonsville, Potomac, Colesville, Columbia, Laurel, Beltsville, Lanham, Bowie, Greenbelt, Mitchellville, College Park, Adelphi, Hyattsville, Largo, Landover, Riverdale, Glenn Dale, New Carrolton, Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church etc. Laser Printer, Canon, Ricoh, HP, Samsung, Brother, Konica Minolta, IBM, OKI, Sharp, Panasonic, Maryland. Call Kensington Office Machines or Request services online at www.kensingtonofficemachines.com.


The American Chemical Society-the world’s largest scientific society-is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Source: Michael Bernstein
American Chemical Society

March 28, 2009

Kensington Office Machines Encourage Employees and Customers to “Go Green”

Kensington Office Machines Encourage Employees and Customers to  “Go Green”

Silver Spring, MD – March 27, 2009 - America is shifting to a “Green” culture and businesses are realizing that environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility, and Kensington Office Machines is no exception. Kensington Office Machines takes global warming and environmental protection seriously and encourages its employees and customers to “Go Green.”

Currently, Kensington Office Machines offers “green” services to customers including a recycling program for e-waste. Also Kensington Office Machines is creating awareness of “Going Green” in Africa.  Your generous donation to this effort will be highly appreciated.

When purchasing electronic products such as monitors, laptops, TV’s, and anything with a screen, the asset disposal, and Montgomery county recycling agencies are very effective. Because it is illegal to dispose of these products using regular methods, customers can effectively plan for and reduce the costs associated with IT asset disposition by using these facilities.

The data sanitization service offers peace of mind by eliminating all remnants of sensitive data from hard drives to protect against identity theft and maintain corporate privacy. Kensington Office Machines processing center meets the security requirements of the United States Department of Defense to ensure customers’ data is safe.

Kensington Office Machines realizes its environmental responsibility and is working to become a more “Green” company. Kensington Office Machines recently purchased energy-efficient light bulbs for the entire office and goes paperless whenever possible, making the vast majority of its internal communications available online. Employees lend a hand to the cause by turning off lights in rooms not used and using natural light whenever possible. Teammates dine using reusable dishware, silverware, and glasses for meals in the office and carpool to work whenever possible.

Kensington Office Machines is working on implementing green policies and procedures for 2009 and beyond. The company hopes to become 100 percent paperless, and plans on buying energy saving computers in the future. Kensington Office Machines is taking concrete steps to reduce its footprint on the environment and continues to look for new and innovative ways to help the cause.Visit our hardware online site at www.kensingtonofficemachines.com for yourMinolta, Okidata, IBM, Swintec, Acroprint, Acer, Toshiba, Smith Corona, HP and Canon needs. “SHOP, BUY, REQUEST SERVICE” Kensington Office Machines.

May 5, 2008

Kensington Office Machines unveils it’s new online “Service Center”

Silver Spring, MD -May 5th,2008.

www.kensingtonofficemachines.com is an online provider of information technology products and services. Happy to announce their new redisigned website on Monday. Service Center is one of the newly added features with the flexibility to SHOP-BUY and request SERVICE.

Service Center

Our service center has been operating since 1973, our technicians are well trained, and look forward to the opportunity to be of service to you or your organization. We offer in-house and on-site services. We are committed to continuously providing your business with the best resources necessary to keep your office equipment running at a competitive repair cost. We are authorized to work on most office equipment including, Okidata, Ibm, Acroprint, Royal, Smith Corona, Panasonic, Minolta, Toshiba, Brother, Canon, HP, Swintec, and the lists goes on. Laser Printers, HP Laser printer repair, Computer Repair, Copier repair in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia.

«•» What we do:

Notebook and Desktop computer repair and upgrade:
1. Computer check-up (Spyware and Virus cleanup)
1. Computer check-up (Spyware and Virus cleanup)
2. Expert troubleshooting
3. Software Installation
4. Peripheral Installation
5. Hardware Installation
6. Memory upgrade
7. Professional Evaluation
8. Computer configuration
9. Digital camera setup.
10. Voice over IP Installation.
11. Wireless Network Installation.
Request Service
11. Wireless Network Installation.
Request Service

«•» Video Surveillance Installation:
Video surveillance is a very valuable asset for nearly every type of business. Many businesses depend on it daily for protection. Contact us for a free estimate.
Request Service
«•» Copiers, Printers, and Fax machine repair:
We understand that a non working Printer, Copier or Fax machines in the middle of a project can be frustrating. Our technicians are well trained and will be available to resolve any issue with your equipment.
Request Service
«•» Shredders, Cash Registers, Date stamp and Calculator repairs. Request Service
«•» Paper handling equipment and PDA repair. Request Service
«•» Typewriter Repair:
For over 30 years Kensington Office Machines has been the best choice for quality new and reconditioned typewriters. Our experienced and well-trained technicians have over 40 years experience. For a quick mailing label, file folder, envelope, legal forms or sentimental values, typewriters will be around for another generation.
Request Service
«•» Why Choose Kensington Office Machines?
   • Competitive Pricing
   • Cautious and great customer service
   • Exceptional Commitment to customer satisfaction
   • Fast, reliable, On-site and Depot service.«•» Service Programs:
   • Yearly Maintenance contract
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Government Contracts
«•» Nationwide Subcontractor Sign-up:Kensington Office Machines is proud to hire sub-contractors around the nation to fill our ever growing clients in need of quality service and great customer service. Sign up

February 8, 2008

“Is this the begining of the end of typewriters?

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 5:00 pm
  The Classic Typewriters  presents  

“A brief history of Typewriters”


The concept of a typewriter dates back at least to 1714, when Englishman Henry Mill filed a vaguely-worded patent for “an artificial machine or method for the impressing or transcribing of letters singly or progressively one after another.” But the first typewriter proven to have worked was built by the Italian Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzono (as established by Michael Adler in his excellent 1973 book The Writing Machine); unfortunately, we do not know what the machine looked like, but we do have specimens of letters written by the Countess on it.

Numerous inventors in Europe and the U.S. worked on typewriters in the 19th century, but successful commercial production began only with the “writing ball” of Danish pastor Malling Hansen (1870). This well-engineered device looked rather like a pincushion. Nietzsche’s mother and sister once gave him one for Christmas. He hated it.

Much more influential, in the long run, was the Sholes & Glidden Type Writer, which began production in late 1873 and appeared on the American market in 1874.

Christopher L. Sholes, a Milwaukee newspaperman, poet, and part-time inventor, was the main creator of this machine. The Sholes & Glidden typed only in capital letters, and it introduced the QWERTY keyboard, which is very much with us today. The keyboard was probably designed to separate frequently-used pairs of typebars so that the typebars would not clash and get stuck at the printing point. The S&G was a decorative machine, boasting painted flowers and decals. It looked rather like a sewing machine, as it was manufactured by the sewing machine department of the Remington arms company. For an in-depth look at this historic device, visit Darryl Rehr’s Web site “The First Typewriter.”

The Sholes & Glidden had limited success, but its successor, the Remington, soon became a dominant presence in the industry.The Sholes & Glidden, like many early typewriters, is an understroke or “blind” writer: the typebars are arranged in a circular basket under the platen (the printing surface) and type on the bottom of the platen. This means that the typist (confusingly called a “typewriter” herself in the early days) has to lift up the carriage to see her work. Another example of an understroke typebar machine is the Caligraph of 1880, the second typewriter to appear on the American market.

This Caligraph has a “full” keyboard — separate keys for lower- and upper-case letters. Click here to read more about the Caligraph.

The Smith Premier (1890) is another example of a full-keyboard understroke typewriter which was very popular in its day. Click here to read more and see the machine.

The QWERTY keyboard came to be called the “Universal” keyboard, as the alternative keyboards fought a losing battle against the QWERTY momentum. (For more on QWERTY and to learn why “QWERTY is cool,” visit Darryl Rehr’s site The QWERTY Connection.) But not all early typewriters used the QWERTY system, and many did not even type with typebars. Case in point: the ingenious Hammond, introduced in 1884. The Hammond came on the scene with its own keyboard, the two-row, curved “Ideal” keyboard — although Universal Hammonds were also soon made available. The Hammond prints from a type shuttle — a C-shaped piece of vulcanized rubber. The shuttle can easily be exchanged when you want to use a different typeface. There is no cylindrical platen as on typebar typewriters; the paper is hit against the shuttle by a hammer.

The Hammond gained a solid base of loyal customers. These well-engineered machines lasted, with a name change to Varityper and electrification, right up to the beginning of the word-processor era.

Other machines typing from a single type element rather than typebars included the gorgeous Crandall (1881) …

… and the practical Blickensderfer.

 The effort to create a visible rather than “blind” machine led to many ingenious ways of getting the typebars to the platen. Examples of early visible writers include the Williams and the Oliver. The Daugherty Visible of 1891 was the first frontstroke typewriter to go into production: the typebars rest below the platen and hit the front of it. With the Underwood of 1895, this style of typewriter began to gain ascendancy. By the 1920s, virtually all typewriters were “look-alikes”: frontstroke, QWERTY, typebar machines printing through a ribbon, using one shift key and four banks of keys. The most popular model of early Underwoods, the #5, is still to be found everywhere.

Let’s return for a moment to the 19th century. The standard price for a typewriter was $100 — comparable to the price of a good personal computer today. There were many efforts to produce cheaper typewriters. Most of these were index machines: the typist first points at a letter on some sort of index, then performs another motion to print the letter. Obviously, these were not heavy-duty office machines; they were meant for people of limited means who needed to do some occasional typing. An example is the “American” index typewriter, which sold for $5. Index typewriters survived into the 20th century as children’s toys; one commonly found example is the “Dial” typewriter made by Marx Toys in the 1920s and 30s.

Much more could be said about the hundreds of makes of early typewriters — but I’ll restrain myself. To get some different perspectives, try looking through my collection list or my wish list. To bone up on the topic yourself, check out the typewriter-collecting resources.


December 26, 2007

Technology no Match for the Classics

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 8:52 pm

Technology no match for the classics

Kensington business dedicated to devotees of the typewriter

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006


Click here to enlarge this photo

Laurie DeWitt⁄The Gazette

Typewriter repairman Frank Cherian, 53, poses with the very first typewriter model from the L.C. Smith & Bros. Company, which later became Smith Corona. Cherian, who works at Kensington Office Machines and has been repairing typewriters for more than 30 years, said the machines would not likely become obsolete since they are so easy to use and there is still a demand for them.

For a brand that once helped dominate the word processing landscape, the Smith Corona Web site is pretty modest.There’s no mention of the typewriter company’s 115-year old legacy — a feat for any technology-based company — on its home page. And a picture with the words, ‘‘It’s an American Icon” in the ‘‘About Smith Corona” section of the Web site seems like an afterthought given the words — in small, simple type — are shown inside an animated thought balloon.

But the fact is companies like Smith Corona, IBM, Swintec and Brother were once the typewriting titans of their day.

And though that day might have come and gone for most, Kensington businessman Jimmy Fasusi wants people to know typewriters still have a following.

‘‘We have customers who ask us not to go out of business because they don’t want to use computers,” said Fasusi, owner of Kensington Office Machines — an office supply and repair store on Plyers Mill Road that sells typewriters, computers, fax machines and other communication gadgets. ‘‘There are customers 60 and upwards and the thing is, they love their machines and they don’t want to give it up.”

Fasusi estimates about 70 percent of his profits come from selling or repairing typewriters.

Most of his clients, Fasusi acknowledged, are older and appreciate the typewriter’s simplicity, and have no desire to learn about computers.

People like 82-year-old Chevy Chase resident Joan Gidding.

‘‘I used the [computer] and I spent hours looking at the beastly thing — the mouse and everything,” said Gidding, who is originally from England. ‘‘And I thought, I can’t deal with that rubbish. When the printer was installed, there was no room for my makeup.”

Gidding even typed her 75-page Master’s degree thesis on an Underwood typewriter. That was in 1984, but Gidding’s loyalty to the machines in the face of newer technology is undiminished.

‘‘Everybody’s trying to get me into the 20th century, never mind the 21st century,” Gidding said. ‘‘My niece — she sent me a word processor. I have no idea what to do with the [darn] thing. Finally my husband said, ‘This is not going to work. You are not electronically minded.’”

For people like Gidding, Fasusi’s store is a typewriting refuge, a place they can go to get their nearly antiquated machines repaired.

The store is not, however, a haven for the younger set.

In the mid-1980s, Montgomery County Public Schools phased out typing classes, about the time computers were coming into classrooms, according to Shelly Johnson, MCPS director of career and technology.

So younger generations that might have previously taken typing classes in schools are probably not even familiar with typewriters.

‘‘The way most of the school systems work…is the students take keyboarding,” Shelly said. ‘‘It’s embedded in our computer classes. It’s something they have to learn as part of the course.”

The MCPS computer classes — offered to middle and high school students — are optional unless students are on the technology track, Shelly said.

Fasusi knows he’s not likely to get an influx of younger customers any time soon. But, he said, he doesn’t need to.

‘‘We have a contract with [National Institutes of Health]. The Washington, D.C., superior court, we’ve been with them for five years. They still use typewriters to type up [documents].

‘‘We sell to inmates because inmates are not allowed to use computers. We even got a celebrity that came over from Frederick,” said Fasusi, refusing to reveal the celebrity’s name. ‘‘They were shooting a movie reenactment and needed some typewriters.”

Which is just fine with 30-year typewriter repairman, Frank Cherian, because a demand for the machines means he still gets to do the work he loves.

‘‘The way I got interested is I took a typing class many years ago in high school,” said Cherian, who has worked at Kensington Office Machines for about 10 years. ‘‘It was so interesting to see the guys, how they put the machines together. All those screws, they had a place. It was a miracle the thing worked.”

Demand to buy the machines or have them repaired also means typewriters still have a place in today’s technological society, Cherian said.

‘‘I don’t think the typewriter will ever be obsolete,” he said. ‘‘I think they’ll always be around. You don’t have to put anything to memory. It’s a very simple process.”

December 11, 2007

Kensington Office Machines has moved to a new location.

Filed under: Announcement, Uncategorized — admin @ 6:13 pm

Hello,
This is to announce that we have moved to a much better location. Please call us for directions.
We are devoted to our customers and will continue to provide first class services as we work towards expanding our infrastruture.

Our customers loyalty and steadfastness is second to none. Your business is appreciated.

Management

December 10, 2007

Hello world!

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 9:48 am

Welcome to Kensington Office Machines. This is test post.

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