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I was the only person in my dormitory (possibly the entire college) using a typewriter. This was in 1997-98. Couldn't afford a computer, and detested waiting in line and having to write reports in a cramped basement computer lab. So I went to the thrift store and bought a Remington Ten electric from the sixties, but it made a lot of noise between the keys and the electric return. I replaced it with a late-50's Adler Universal, the smoothest manual typewriter I've ever touched. Lost it in an accident and never found another.
During a blizzard we had a power outage one day. A guy from one of my classes came down and said he had to write a paper and would I lend him the typewriter? Of course. Thirty minutes later he brought it back - couldn't figure it out. I offered to show him but he declined.
That same winter another acquaintance from a class happened to be on my floor and peeked his head in the door, asking if he could use my phone. Sure - no problem, it's on the desk. He walked over, picked up the receiver and stared at the Western Electric 500 for about fifteen seconds, then hung up and said never mind!
Again, these guys would be around thirty today.
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