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  Even though typewriters are a relatively recent invention, with the first manual typewriter appearing in 1868, they have become almost obsolete with the creation of the word processor. A word processor is an application program found on most computers. Word processors store documents in a computer's memory for retrieval and can display a document on a computer screen while a typewriter is a static instrument. While both typewriters and word processors are used for creating documents, word processors have many advantages over the typewriter.
  
  

Editing

• Word processors speed up the editing process. In a word processor, a user can cut, copy and paste text and graphics within and between documents. A conventional typewriter cannot do this, although some electronic typewriters have some storage capacity. Some word processors can check spelling and grammar within a document while you need to get out a dictionary and grammar book if you are using a typewriter. Word processors also have a thesaurus capability and can suggest alternatives for common words, while a typewriter cannot.
  
  

Adding Graphics and Multimedia

• You can create graphic and multimedia documents in a word processor. In a word processor, you add graphics by inserting them in the document. In addition to being able to add pictures, you can also add lines, shapes, sounds and movies to a word-processing document. To add a picture to a typewriter document, first type the text. Then, cut out the picture you want to use and manually glue it to the page. While you can add a line or draw a shape on a typewritten page, you cannot add sounds or movies.
  
  

Tools

• Word processors have better tools than typewriters. Conventional typewriters are great for typing words, but if you need to create a table, chart, or equation in a typewriter, the task becomes laborious. For example, to create a chart, you need to leave space in a typewritten document to either physically cut and paste a chart in or draw one in. In a word-processed document, you insert a chart or table or use an equation editor in the program to create equations.
  
  

Copies

• It is easier and far faster to make document copies on a word processor. To make a copy of a conventional typewriter page, you use carbon paper between pages to create the copy or you have to take the page to a copy machine. If you use a word processor and need a copy, you decide how many copies you need and click "Print."