Mediated writing: the writing ball is a thing like me

Nietzsche was famously noted to change his writing style as he adopted a mechanical typewriter instead of writing longhand or dictating to an assistant. The typewriter mediated--changed--the way he communicated, a change rejected by Heidegger as unwanted.

Nietzsche even wrote a short poem for his 'writing ball':

The Writing Ball is a thing just like me: of iron
And yet easy to twist, especially on journeys.
Patience and tact one must richly possess
And fine little fingers to use us.

Schreibkugel ist ein Ding gleich mir: von Eisen
Und doch leicht zu verdrehn zumal auf Reisen.
Geduld und Takt muss reichlich man besitzen
Und feine Fingerchen, uns zu benuetzen.

Underscoring some of the vagaries and quirks of the machines themselves, Hammacher Schlemmer's description of the typewriter they sell is absolutely marvellous:

The Wordsmith's Manual Typewriter.
This is the manual typewriter that recalls the thoughtful, well-written correspondence of yesteryear. Devoid of technological crutches such as spell-check and deletion, each of its 44 keys requires a firm, purposeful stroke for a steady click-clacking cadence that encourages the patient, considered sentiment of a wordsmith who thinks before writing. Using a 10-characters-per-inch Pica 87 font, it faithfully reproduces the eclectic printed impressions of its forebears—variable kerning, subtly ghosted letters, and nuanced baseline shifts—imparting unique, personal character to every letter, piece of prose, or verse of poetry. Updated with a lightweight yet durable ABS housing and carrying case for easy portability.

... and of course, don't forget that unlike word processing software, users must use a double-space after the monospaced period.