If someone in charge of buying Office Supplies in Madison WI in the 1970s was transported through time to the 21st Century, the main point of surprise would probably be the proliferation of supplies related to personal computers and laptops. It wasn’t until the 1980s that desktop computers became common in offices; before this, typewriters and filing cabinets were the norms. Copies might have been made on ditto machines, with the characteristic blue ink. The office manager or other employee assigned the project of stocking supplies would have been accustomed to buying typewriter ribbons, file folders and labels, and lots of paper.
One thing that hasn’t changed in the world of Office Supplies in Madison WI is the continuing need for reams of paper. Many people predicted the end of the paper trail as desktop computers became more prevalent, but offices still routinely buy boxes of copy paper to use not only for the copy machine but also for computer printers and for faxing. There also is plenty of money spent on file folders and labels, but little to none of a company’s budget goes for typewriter ribbons anymore. However, those ribbons are still available at a store such as Rhyme Biz. Some offices still use typewriters for specialized purposes such as addressing a single envelope or creating a packaging label.
The time traveler would no doubt marvel at all the keyboards and the little devices called mice, along with their very own mouse pads. Oddly enough, this person would have entirely missed the booming era of floppy disks in their various sizes, although some are still available at office supply stores. They would pose a mystery to someone who had never seen any computer equipment other than mainframe terminals and the enormous equipment that would fill an entire room at the back of a company office.
While looking over the variety of modern office supplies, the time traveler would see external hard drives, flash drives, scanners, camera card readers, modems and many other items that would seem bewildering. It would probably be a point of reassurance that so many familiar things are still available, such as the trusty ballpoint pen and the steno pad.
