Typewriters in the Wheelwriter series use swappable daisy wheel cartridges to produce high-quality letterforms on the page via an ink ribbon and an impact printing head.

[1][2] All models in the Wheelwriter range possess some amount of electronic memory, acting as a data buffer and allowing for a number of advanced features, including algorithmic centering of text on a line, basic spell-checking, and word-by-word erasure of text (either via white correction ribbon or via lift-off adhesive correction ribbon), among other features.

[5]: 488  Because of the drastically reduced number of moving parts, the Wheelwriter was considered by IBM engineers to be much more reliable and required less servicing than the Selectric.

[8] At the time of their release, IBM continued to produce the Selectric III, Personal Typewriter, and two Electronic Typewriters—the Models 85 and 95 for a number of months.

For example, the Wheelwriter 2000 has 32KB of memory and a number of automated formatting features including bold, sub- and super-script, and foreign language support.

[20] By the late 1990s, the Wheelwriter was one of the last electronic typewriters still manufactured in the United States, Lexmark holding a majority of the American market share in that category.

[21] As of 2023, since it was discontinued, typewriters including the Wheelwriter continue to be used by writers and businesses[22] in part because of the convenience for addressing letters and filling out forms.