Last Mechanical Typewriter: When was the last time you used a mechanical typewriter?

The worlds last remaining mechanical typewriter factory will shut its doors. (iStock photo)

The worlds last remaining mechanical typewriter factory - Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd, in Mumbai, India - have shut the plant's doors because of declining orders.

Mechanical typewriters - that operate solely by human power - are prized in India for their ease, efficiency and durability. As many as 400 million Indians lack reliable electricity, so the devices were widely used in the courts and government bureaucracy.

In the 1990s, the company made 50,000 machines a year, out of a total Indian output of 150,000 annually.

But after stopping production, Godrej & Boyce has only about 500 of its Prima brand units left in its inventory, general manager Milind Dukle told India's Business Standard newspaper.

"We are not getting many orders now. This might be the last chance for typewriter lovers," said Dukle.

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When is this last time you used a mechanical typewriter? Do you think the survival of analog technology is important, or antiquated? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

(The survey is not scientific. The results are based on the readers' responses.)