Canon should do a wireless version of this typewriter that also connects to Wifi and cloud. "Digital typewriters" are a big niche product for writers right now. Being able spontaneously type a hard copy of their work and also save it to cloud would be a game changer for a lot of writers.
I was blown away when I noticed my Typestar 5 II that I got for $8.00 had the justify option. I use it for short writing on of course thermal receipt paper which is awesome because I use it for Twitter posts that are longer than the character limit. My iPad Pro 2021 will recognize the text in camera mode and I can pop it into Word or Google Docs and edit. I have some 4x6 thermal labels on order for postcards and other useful labelling. I will never part with my Typestar 5 II.
That random beeping that you hear and need to hit margin release for is not a problem with just your machine. It's actual a built in feature of all Typestar 5. It beeps at you and locks itself any time you hit 2 keys at once by accident. You have to hit MR to release. The manual says it's to help avoid mistakes, I just find it super annoying. If you type slow tho doesn't happen as much.
I hope in our college batch taught on hownto use electronic typewriter. The school have all the units, but it was not functioning already and as I was observing, it was antiques already. Most brands were Panasonic, I guess?
Joe, I just axquired a TypeStar 220. Have you posted your spreadsheet anywhere? I would like to add to it for the 220. I think you should try to get the details of as many TypeStars as possible so we can have a complete feature comparison spreadsheet. What do you think?
I like Canon office products. The Typestar 5 makes me feel contented to use a microcomputer, due to its disadvantages, such as the small right shift key, and the oversized return key. Your video was quite informative. I may want to research further the Typestar 5. The red shell is eye-catching to me. As an avid typist, I am a keyboard specialist who would love to see more of your forums about typewriters. You did a nice job.
Hey Joe! You did not mention the type density adjusting knob? The case is designed such that one can open the latches, flip up the cover, open the case and expose the typewriter, then flip the top cover back and latch it for a palm-rest. The case leaves the on/off switch and power port accessible. The right platen knob can be pushed in to disconnect the index, saving wear and tear on the components and allowing a form of fractional adjustment.
Biggest gripe I had with these things was the tiny "LCD" screens. Only showed me a fragment of what I had written or was currently typing. Maybe some folks can work that way? I couldn't and still CAN'T. So? I MUST HAVE A "FULL SIZE" SCREEN.
Your videos are very interesting to watch. There are other channels about typewriters, photography and astronomy but the way you explain stuff is more organized and entertaining. God bless you, friend
Aack! Electronic gremlins. The bane of the electronic typewriters. Impressive effort to make a work around that you can live with. Sure is a pretty one.
ETW....Electronic Test Wafer! Typing machines have really improved! The pictures of office workers using the Canon ETW made me want to draw in captions!
They were fun, but it felt a little slow to print out compared to other typewriters. The print tapes were pretty expensive if you didn’t use thermal paper (which we didn’t because we had printed letterhead. This was also around the same time that we got the first PC laptop and so were pretty fascinated with that.
Hi joe, have you considered adding something like a coping saw blade to help tear off the paper? I may purchase one of these soon and experiment myself.
@@Joe_VanCleave oh my goodness, the thought crossed my mind while watching the video, like I wonder if Joe would resort to THAT [he probably would at least give it a try lol]
Hey there, my Typestar 5 just recently started beeping when typing. (Beeps each key press) . Though resetting it allows it to work again for awhile then it will randomly start doing it again after a little while
@@BoptimusPrime Could be some intermittent stepper motor feedback signal is lost, then the micro controller looses count of where it's at. Hopefully it'll hang in there.
I bought one of these recently and everything worked perfectly except the Return function. So I tore everything apart and managed to get out the small (unipolar stepper?) motor that cranks all the gears around and sure enough, though it spins when Return is pushed, it can't handle any resistance. My question is: do you happen to know if these particular 6-wire stepper motors are common to all the canon machines of the 80's? If so I'll find another broken canon machine to salvage a motor out of as there are plenty lying around but nary another Typestar 5 in sight. Cheers, and great video as always.
I’m not sure if the same motor is used in different models, you may have to get the same model. Be sure the gear on the motor shaft isn’t losing grip due to being split; if so, you may be able to super glue it.
I’m an archiver for family memorabilia. I want one to type the details about photos on paper tags 3”x4” would be the smallest. Would that be an option with this. I see it has thermal paper. Is it impregnated with chemicals that are not archival? I think I just need an ink ribbon typewriter. TIA for any insight.
For archival uses, you should use a regular ink typewriter, or one of those electronic “daisy wheel” machines with a carbon film ribbon, those are also archival. I recommend adhesive labels, they roll through the typewriter platen better than stiff card stock tags, then you can stick the labels to the tags. Avery have a wide selection of adhesive labels.
I got Canon Typestar 6 Grey/Brown recently. It's work as it should, but the bottom half of the display doesn't fully show the text that have been typed. Is possible to fix? May be to clean something up inside? I would appreciate if you give me "something" about it and accept my grammar please, it's my 2nd
Hello! New comment here. I have a Canon typestar 3 that belonged to my dad but i don’t have the charger/power cord! Please tell me what to use it with? What cord do i need?
I have a Smith Corona Graph text 90 and after typing 50 characters into it it says "Key Locked!" I can't seem to get out of it without a power cycle. No PDF manual is uploaded for this model so i have no clue what to do. Any ideas whats causing this?
Hi Joe, thank you for posting this video! Could you, tell me, what is the Ir-50 ribbon cassette efficiency? I have Typestar 2, and I love it but it seems a single cassette is good enough to cover with full writing only approx. 10 sheets of A4 paper. Please advice.
Hi i was thinking of getting something similar to this but wanted to know if it can also use regular A4 papers or does it have to be thermal paper ? Thankyou and have a nice day , Simba
To use regular non-thermal paper you need to use the original ribbon cartridges, which are difficult to acquire as they haven't been manufactured in decades. Also, the original ribbons work best on smooth paper, they don't transfer the film very well onto fibrous papers. For these reasons we find using thermal paper much more convenient.
Joe, thanks for your amazing videos about typewriters! I noticed 2 references for Typestar ribbons : ir-50 and ir-50ii (the last is easy to find, the first is expensive and rare). Are they compatible?
I'm not 100% certain, but they look identical from examining eBay photos of both types. I looked on Around the Office's website and they list the IR-50 for the Typestars 2-7, they sell the black IR-50 and the red IR-51 ribbons, but they're a bit pricey. I'd advise finding an eBay seller of the IR-50ii and order one pack if the price is right; or try calling Around the Office and see if they can answer your question. Here's their website: www.aroundtheoffice.com/CANON/departments/26/
People, help me! HOW LONG DOES THE ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER RIBBON LAST.. (IS IT REUSABLE LIKE IN MECHANICAL OR DO I HAVE TO BUY NEW ONE AFTER ITS ON ITS END..) Just bought my first electric typewriter (6€) Canon ES 3 ps: are all electric typewriter so damn loud..
Hi! This was very informative. Thank you! Could this machine be used with carbon paper in the middle of two sheets of paper to write on both at the same time? Oh, and, what could be wrong with a Typestar 10 that displays “RAM BATTERY LOW” when turned on and doesn’t work after that? Thank you again!
Thermal Typers don’t work with carbon paper, which requires the force of impact to transfer to letters. Thermal Typers are impactless. There’s an internal battery in your Typestar 10 that needs to be replaced, the access door may be under or in back. Or look for the owner’s manual online, that would tell you for certain.
Hi~ I just got a Canon typestar 6 now and I want to buy ribbon cassette, could you tell me which type I should buy and how much it should be? Does the Canon CR-50 Correctable Film Ribbon Cassette match canon typestar 6? I see some on Ebay, but it is really expensive, nearly 30 GBP each.....
I had found a source that was selling the cartridges at a fair price and I hoarded 5 of them. I mainly use thermal receipt paper for short writing but I have my stockpile for letters or special typing.
Try pressing the margin release key, perhaps it thinks it’s already at the right margin? Other than that, it sounds like some internal trouble; alas, these weren’t built as rugged as manual machines.
Mine was initially doing that when I loaded in D batteries that were mixed brands and older. I know this is a year old but try some fresh brand new duracell batteries, it worked for mine.
@@bndfglvllddjdkfkfkf6097 With the original ribbon cartridge they will print on regular paper; but those cartridges are not being made any more, and new old-stock ribbons are expensive.
@@Joe_VanCleave I was even considering trying to learn to refil those ribbons, but some told me the quality decreases a lot if you do it, but still seems fun to write in a typewriter
Joe, the Japanese are notorious listeners who are very sensitive to any legitimate criticism of their products. I'll bet if someone at CANNON gets wind of yours? A NEW keyboard design will debut in the not too distant future.
I have some say in the kinds of commercials I don't want ... everything else is up to them. Why do I allow them? Because my channel is monetized, I get paid by AdSense based on views and subscribers.
@@randomvideos9268 Joe is my best friend. I used to work with him. I like his video work. I don't like commercials. They are a distraction. I don't allow commercials on my channel.
Canon should do a wireless version of this typewriter that also connects to Wifi and cloud. "Digital typewriters" are a big niche product for writers right now. Being able spontaneously type a hard copy of their work and also save it to cloud would be a game changer for a lot of writers.
Yes, for certain!
That instruction manual is EVERYTHING! 😍😆
Fell down the rabbit hole. Now here i am. 😀👍🏼
Sorry! And congrats!
I was blown away when I noticed my Typestar 5 II that I got for $8.00 had the justify option. I use it for short writing on of course thermal receipt paper which is awesome because I use it for Twitter posts that are longer than the character limit. My iPad Pro 2021 will recognize the text in camera mode and I can pop it into Word or Google Docs and edit. I have some 4x6 thermal labels on order for postcards and other useful labelling. I will never part with my Typestar 5 II.
That random beeping that you hear and need to hit margin release for is not a problem with just your machine. It's actual a built in feature of all Typestar 5. It beeps at you and locks itself any time you hit 2 keys at once by accident. You have to hit MR to release. The manual says it's to help avoid mistakes, I just find it super annoying. If you type slow tho doesn't happen as much.
I hope in our college batch taught on hownto use electronic typewriter.
The school have all the units, but it was not functioning already and as I was observing, it was antiques already. Most brands were Panasonic, I guess?
Joe, I just axquired a TypeStar 220. Have you posted your spreadsheet anywhere? I would like to add to it for the 220. I think you should try to get the details of as many TypeStars as possible so we can have a complete feature comparison spreadsheet. What do you think?
Man the looks you'd get taking that to a park on a nice sunny day pre-2020 to write your next Stephen King novel on... =D
I like Canon office products. The Typestar 5 makes me feel contented to use a microcomputer, due to its disadvantages, such as the small right shift key, and the oversized return key. Your video was quite informative. I may want to research further the Typestar 5. The red shell is eye-catching to me. As an avid typist, I am a keyboard specialist who would love to see more of your forums about typewriters. You did a nice job.
Hey Joe! You did not mention the type density adjusting knob? The case is designed such that one can open the latches, flip up the cover, open the case and expose the typewriter, then flip the top cover back and latch it for a palm-rest. The case leaves the on/off switch and power port accessible. The right platen knob can be pushed in to disconnect the index, saving wear and tear on the components and allowing a form of fractional adjustment.
Thank you!
Wow! That's great info. I'll have to try it out.
Biggest gripe I had with these things was the tiny "LCD" screens. Only showed me a fragment of what I had written or was currently typing. Maybe some folks can work that way? I couldn't and still CAN'T. So? I MUST HAVE A "FULL SIZE" SCREEN.
Your videos are very interesting to watch. There are other channels about typewriters, photography and astronomy but the way you explain stuff is more organized and entertaining. God bless you, friend
You couldn't have said it better! Amen!
I had one of these back when for about a year! Bought it to take on business trips as a little note-taker. Went back to my Hermes Rocket...
Aack! Electronic gremlins. The bane of the electronic typewriters. Impressive effort to make a work around that you can live with. Sure is a pretty one.
Now you'll have to get and review a Canon Cat too!
ETW....Electronic Test Wafer! Typing machines have really improved! The pictures of office workers using the Canon ETW made me want to draw in captions!
No, the Japanese is saying "Avoid using it in a dusty place (埃っぽい場所でのご使用は避けて下さい。).
We used one of these at my first job - 1988
Do you miss it?
They were fun, but it felt a little slow to print out compared to other typewriters. The print tapes were pretty expensive if you didn’t use thermal paper (which we didn’t because we had printed letterhead. This was also around the same time that we got the first PC laptop and so were pretty fascinated with that.
Just picked one up with the hard case in mint condition for A$50 (under US$34) incl postage! Includes the English user manual.....
Hi joe, have you considered adding something like a coping saw blade to help tear off the paper? I may purchase one of these soon and experiment myself.
I did add an aluminum tear-strip from a foil box to the paper roll dispenser box, it works nice!
@@Joe_VanCleave oh my goodness, the thought crossed my mind while watching the video, like I wonder if Joe would resort to THAT [he probably would at least give it a try lol]
such nice material to casually listen to
Hi Joe, I wonder can it be working with only 6V charger without batteries?
Hey there, my Typestar 5 just recently started beeping when typing. (Beeps each key press) . Though resetting it allows it to work again for awhile then it will randomly start doing it again after a little while
Nevermind, margin release worked for me too.. so weird. Never did this before today, hence the reason I found your video haha. Thanks so much
@@BoptimusPrime Could be some intermittent stepper motor feedback signal is lost, then the micro controller looses count of where it's at. Hopefully it'll hang in there.
Red! Very nice. Would get lots of attention when out and about. I wonder what other colors they had, if any?
Awesome color!
I bought one of these recently and everything worked perfectly except the Return function. So I tore everything apart and managed to get out the small (unipolar stepper?) motor that cranks all the gears around and sure enough, though it spins when Return is pushed, it can't handle any resistance. My question is: do you happen to know if these particular 6-wire stepper motors are common to all the canon machines of the 80's? If so I'll find another broken canon machine to salvage a motor out of as there are plenty lying around but nary another Typestar 5 in sight. Cheers, and great video as always.
I’m not sure if the same motor is used in different models, you may have to get the same model. Be sure the gear on the motor shaft isn’t losing grip due to being split; if so, you may be able to super glue it.
I’m an archiver for family memorabilia. I want one to type the details about photos on paper tags 3”x4” would be the smallest. Would that be an option with this. I see it has thermal paper. Is it impregnated with chemicals that are not archival? I think I just need an ink ribbon typewriter. TIA for any insight.
For archival uses, you should use a regular ink typewriter, or one of those electronic “daisy wheel” machines with a carbon film ribbon, those are also archival. I recommend adhesive labels, they roll through the typewriter platen better than stiff card stock tags, then you can stick the labels to the tags. Avery have a wide selection of adhesive labels.
I got Canon Typestar 6 Grey/Brown recently. It's work as it should, but the bottom half of the display doesn't fully show the text that have been typed. Is possible to fix? May be to clean something up inside?
I would appreciate if you give me "something" about it
and accept my grammar please, it's my 2nd
Hello! New comment here. I have a Canon typestar 3 that belonged to my dad but i don’t have the charger/power cord! Please tell me what to use it with? What cord do i need?
A cheap "laptop" computer, even an old one, is for me MUCH preferred for the larger screen and greater functionality.
I have a Smith Corona Graph text 90 and after typing 50 characters into it it says "Key Locked!" I can't seem to get out of it without a power cycle. No PDF manual is uploaded for this model so i have no clue what to do. Any ideas whats causing this?
No idea, but drop a question to Duane at the Phoenix Typewriter channel and he might be able to help.
Hi Joe, thank you for posting this video! Could you, tell me, what is the Ir-50 ribbon cassette efficiency? I have Typestar 2, and I love it but it seems a single cassette is good enough to cover with full writing only approx. 10 sheets of A4 paper. Please advice.
I’ve never used a full cassette, so can’t judge the capacity.I typically use thermal paper sans cassette.
@@Joe_VanCleave Thank you for your prompt response. I'll try the thermal paper then.
Hi i was thinking of getting something similar to this but wanted to know if it can also use regular A4 papers or does it have to be thermal paper ? Thankyou and have a nice day , Simba
To use regular non-thermal paper you need to use the original ribbon cartridges, which are difficult to acquire as they haven't been manufactured in decades. Also, the original ribbons work best on smooth paper, they don't transfer the film very well onto fibrous papers. For these reasons we find using thermal paper much more convenient.
@@Joe_VanCleave oh oks thankyou so much ,have a nice day ,Simba
Joe, thanks for your amazing videos about typewriters!
I noticed 2 references for Typestar ribbons : ir-50 and ir-50ii (the last is easy to find, the first is expensive and rare). Are they compatible?
I'm not 100% certain, but they look identical from examining eBay photos of both types. I looked on Around the Office's website and they list the IR-50 for the Typestars 2-7, they sell the black IR-50 and the red IR-51 ribbons, but they're a bit pricey. I'd advise finding an eBay seller of the IR-50ii and order one pack if the price is right; or try calling Around the Office and see if they can answer your question. Here's their website: www.aroundtheoffice.com/CANON/departments/26/
People, help me! HOW LONG DOES THE ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER RIBBON LAST.. (IS IT REUSABLE LIKE IN MECHANICAL OR DO I HAVE TO BUY NEW ONE AFTER ITS ON ITS END..)
Just bought my first electric typewriter (6€) Canon ES 3
ps: are all electric typewriter so damn loud..
So if I wanted it to start typing in the middle of the paper and not all the way to the left how would I get it start at any part of the paper I want
Move the carrier with the space bar to where you want the left margin, then set the left margin.
grt we need more of dis 🙏
Hi! This was very informative. Thank you!
Could this machine be used with carbon paper in the middle of two sheets of paper to write on both at the same time?
Oh, and, what could be wrong with a Typestar 10 that displays “RAM BATTERY LOW” when turned on and doesn’t work after that?
Thank you again!
Thermal Typers don’t work with carbon paper, which requires the force of impact to transfer to letters. Thermal Typers are impactless.
There’s an internal battery in your Typestar 10 that needs to be replaced, the access door may be under or in back. Or look for the owner’s manual online, that would tell you for certain.
Wow, i like to have it someday.
Hi~ I just got a Canon typestar 6 now and I want to buy ribbon cassette, could you tell me which type I should buy and how much it should be? Does the Canon CR-50 Correctable Film Ribbon Cassette match canon typestar 6? I see some on Ebay, but it is really expensive, nearly 30 GBP each.....
Not sure about the CR-50, but I found a seller here in the States who sells ribbons for the Typestar 2,3,4,5,6,7: www.scantracker.com/CAN-IR-50.htm
@@Joe_VanCleave Ohhh, thank you so much!!!
I had found a source that was selling the cartridges at a fair price and I hoarded 5 of them. I mainly use thermal receipt paper for short writing but I have my stockpile for letters or special typing.
Hi Joe, we have the typestar 6 but all it does when we power it on and press any keys is beep. Is it faulty or is there a way to reset it?
Try pressing the margin release key, perhaps it thinks it’s already at the right margin? Other than that, it sounds like some internal trouble; alas, these weren’t built as rugged as manual machines.
@@Joe_VanCleave thanks for replying Joe, I'll have another look at it tomorrow, cheers
Mine was initially doing that when I loaded in D batteries that were mixed brands and older. I know this is a year old but try some fresh brand new duracell batteries, it worked for mine.
I know it's an old device so I maybe shouldn't judge it by my modern standards, but it's too loud for theoretically using it in exams
Are the keyboards on these typewriters just normal mechanical keyboards? I’m thinking of modifying one
They are connected to the motherboard with custom ribbon cables, so the board reads the keyboard directly, rather than using a serial interface.
@@Joe_VanCleave got it, thanks Joe!
Hi there, i'm having a problem with my typestar 5. The display just show some blocks, and I can't even change the mode. Any help?
Check the display contrast control, sometimes it looks like that if mis-adjusted. Otherwise remove the batteries and let it reset for a while.
@@Joe_VanCleave are those typewriters good for students, I mean can they hold normal paper (not just fax)?
@@bndfglvllddjdkfkfkf6097 With the original ribbon cartridge they will print on regular paper; but those cartridges are not being made any more, and new old-stock ribbons are expensive.
@@Joe_VanCleave I was even considering trying to learn to refil those ribbons, but some told me the quality decreases a lot if you do it, but still seems fun to write in a typewriter
Hello, I have many typewriters but I don't know what to use them fore, do you have any ideas?
the smiling nut nurt Write a novel, or a screenplay, that’s how I use mine.
Or just start writing a journal to yourself. You may be surprised what may come of it.
If only it could me modded to put an iPad in the type slot and use it as an external keyboard.
If there's a will, there's a way... LOL!
Motivation- imagine how many views that would get on youtube! 😄
My Typestar 4 needs a little cleaning. Fortunately, the cat didn't puke on it too much. I think I better store it in its box until I use it again.
Too much? I hope not at all!
@@Joe_VanCleave just a little.
That sounded familiar!
Wow so quiet.
I still have my old Typestar 6. lol
Omg I found one in my father’s old symptoms but it’s not work did you know where i can found Its purposes pls????
Better IBM SELECTRIC I,II,III, Smith Corona,Remington,Royal.
Joe, the Japanese are notorious listeners who are very sensitive to any legitimate criticism of their products. I'll bet if someone at CANNON gets wind of yours? A NEW keyboard design will debut in the not too distant future.
In the future for a machine from the past... that would be epic
Why do you allow commercials? They are terrible!!
I have some say in the kinds of commercials I don't want ... everything else is up to them. Why do I allow them? Because my channel is monetized, I get paid by AdSense based on views and subscribers.
@@Joe_VanCleave So, someday, you can retire from that big factory on the hill! So you get a check?
@@DavidALovingMPF102 you're so damn rude. If you don't like It, don't watch it
@@randomvideos9268 Joe is my best friend. I used to work with him. I like his video work. I don't like commercials. They are a distraction. I don't allow commercials on my channel.
@@DavidALovingMPF102 there are no friends on the internet, only allies and enemies