The Evolution of Typing
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The way we type today — whether hammering out a novel on a laptop or shooting a text from a foldable mini keyboard — is the result of a fascinating journey through technology and innovation.
Let’s take a quick ride through the centuries to see how typing evolved from hulking printing presses to sleek, wireless MyType Mini®-style devices!
The Printing Press: Where It All Began
In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg changed the world with the invention of the printing press.
Before this, every book was laboriously copied by hand. Gutenberg’s press used movable metal type and ink to mass-produce pages, sparking the spread of literacy and knowledge across Europe.
Typing didn’t really exist yet — typesetting involved arranging letters manually, one block at a time. It was slow, messy, and physically demanding, but it laid the foundation for the idea of "writing with machines."
The Birth of the Typewriter: Typing Gets Personal
Fast forward to the 19th century, when Christopher Latham Sholes invented the first practical typewriter in 1868.
This was a real game-changer: for the first time, individuals could produce clean, legible writing at speed.
But early typewriters had a flaw: typing too quickly made the metal arms jam.
To fix this, Sholes arranged the keys in the now-famous QWERTY layout, designed to slow typists down just enough to avoid jams — a layout we still use today!
Soon, typewriters were everywhere: in offices, schools, and homes. Typing became a must-have skill, and a huge part of modern communication was born.
The Computer Revolution: Typing Goes Digital
By the 1970s and '80s, computers began invading offices and homes.
Instead of clunky mechanical levers, keyboards became electronic. Pressing a key sent an electrical signal rather than moving a typebar — faster, smoother, and with zero jams.
The basic layout didn’t change much, but keyboards got lighter, flatter, and more responsive. Typing shifted from pounding keys to lightly tapping them — a much gentler experience on the fingers!
As laptops became popular, keyboards shrank and slimmed down even more, often sacrificing key travel for portability.
The Touchscreen Era: Typing Without Keys
The release of the first iPhone in 2007 flipped the script once again.
Typing didn’t even need physical keys anymore — just a touchscreen!
Swiping, tapping, autocorrect, and predictive text became the new normal.
Typing was now possible one-handed, while standing on a bus, or lounging on a couch.
Still, despite the convenience, many people missed the feel of real keys, especially for longer writing sessions. There's something satisfying and fast about physical typing that touchscreens just can’t fully replicate.
The Rise of Portable Keyboards: Best of Both Worlds
Enter the modern age of portable, foldable keyboards — like the amazing MyType Mini®!
Now, you can get a full typing experience without being tied to a desk.
Foldable keyboards are compact enough to fit in your pocket but open up into comfortable, sturdy typing surfaces. Some, like MyType Mini®, even let you connect to multiple devices at once and include built-in stands for your phone or tablet.
Perfect for travelers, digital nomads, or anyone who wants to stay productive on the go, today’s mini keyboards bring the tactile joy of typing back to our mobile world.
From Gutenberg to MyType Mini®: What’s Next?
From manually setting metal letters to folding a keyboard into your back pocket, typing technology has always evolved to meet our needs.
Today, with innovations like wireless foldable keyboards, we're blending the best of tradition — real keys you can feel — with the cutting-edge demands of a mobile, multi-device world.
Who knows what’s next? Maybe we’ll be typing mid-air with virtual holograms someday!
But one thing’s for sure: typing, in one form or another, is here to stay.