Picture this. In a world dominated by laptops, thinkpads and Wi-Fi, teenagers crowding small time institutes like old times, tapping the keyboards of typewriters to learn typing skills.

Yes, the vintage typewriter has survived the onslaught of computers and staged a quiet comeback in the age of internet, as more people, specially the IT kids are drawn to it to learn the basics of typing to handle computers better.

In a megapolis dotted with cyber cafes, one quickly tends to sing the requiem for the once ubiquitous typewriting machines and institutes that taught typing. But dealers of typerwriters, who helplessly watched their machines, which once ruled the roost being obliterated by computers are talking of their machines discovering a niche market.

So the once familiar Remingtons, Haldas and Facits are once again making their way into the market and typewriter dealers say their machines are attracting younger customers.

 "More than two-thirds of customers for typewriters and ribbons are in their 20s and 30s", K Elumali, owner of Typewriter Sales and Services Emporium, a leading typewriter showroom in the city, told PTI.

 "We sold more than 800 typewriters in 2008 compared to 500 and odd the previous year", he said adding that there was also a 30 per cent increase in typewriter accessory sales.

"In 2009, we expect the sales growth of typewriters to reach more than 50 per cent", he said.

The younger generation have also started thronging typewriting institutes, not only to learn basic typing skills, but also to appear for examinations to get grade certificates. Aisvarya Technical Institute Proprietor B Geetha said that a few years back their institute wore a deserted look.

But now more people, especially IT graduates, have started flocking to it to learn typewriting skills. "Mostly IT people, who do not know typing skills, find it difficult to enter their programme coding. This also makes them come to typewriting institutes to learn the technique of typing", she said.

Also, with the Tamil Nadu government relaxing the admission eligibility for typewriting courses five years ago to a pass in eighth standard, more than one lakh appeared for the typewriting examination every year.

Geetha, who has been running the institute for the last 25 years,said her institute has witnessed a five-fold increase of students learning typwriting skills in the last five years. Officials said that this rate would increase further with the recent Government Order, reducing the admission eligibility to sixth standard.

For a generation raised on fast changing technology, there is someting impressively permanent about a typewriter. For those who find it tough to handle complex computers, the noisy typewriter comes as a breath of fresh air as it is simple, practical and hardworking, she said.

 "It's similar to teens choosing Long Playing Records over MP3s and Ipods", said K Vijayalakshmi, a college professor said referring to typewriters staging a comeback.

 "A lot of young people, who have only experienced digital aids, find the anolog extremely appealing", she said, noting that a couple of her students have submitted typewritten papers.

"Young people, who choose typewriters are very careful about what they do when they prepare their project papers. It doesn't seem as disposable and casual", she said.
    
According to some interesting statistics from the Tamil Nadu Commerce Institute Association, an apex body in the state, recognised by the government, more than 1.3 lakh candidates would appear for typewriting examinations this year, compared to about nearly one lakh last year.

The association officials said that suprisingly Tamil Nadu ranks number one in South India in producing more typing skilled students.

For Suresh, a college student, his typewriter holds a special place in his heart. "Typewriting gives a positively perceptible experience. His 'noiseless' 'Facit' churns out piles of papers and the ink has its own 'fragrance'.
   
And when things aren't going well, Kumar 28, pulls out the paper from the machine and crushes it, which, he said, was 'really satisfying'. And you don't lose a document, when you press the wrong key. Two cheers to the warhorse. X