In modern times yes. In earlier times no actually they haven't always been print. Early books {before printing press} and many for centuries afterward were hand written and in cursive or a close variant in several languages. Here is a short history. http://www.bookdepository.com/English-Cursive-Hands-1250-1500-MB-Parkes/9780859675352
Even in the late 1700's our nation still was using cursive for it's documents ironically that a printer {Ben Franklin} helped to draft we call The Declaration of Independence.
Due to cost of printing even though it was developed likely in the 1300's it was often cheaper to transcribe books. Which would be faster cursive or printing?
Fact is placing type is much easier with block letters.
Yes and typing with a typewriter when it was invented changed the speed of that to where a person could type as fast as they could read.
But hand writing is faster in cursive, where as others noted without explaining, you don’t waste time lifting the instrument.
But typing is faster than cursive. The earlier writers were ones who had legible and preferably near perfect cursive handwriting skills. It was a skill like a stone cutter, carpenter, etc. Not everyone could write to the clarity and perfection needed. Thus writing at that time period was a trade in itself. Too if you had a printer say in 1600 who could print a book for high cost or a Monk who would work for free the choice is obvious even though it may take a Monk months or a year or two to complete the task.
Bottom line, printing means using a press and that was using block type. It also was what revolutionized books and made it cheaper. So if you wanted so many copies, it was FAR cheaper to put it on the press rather than any kind of hand copying.
BTW, copies of DOI WERE in block from presses. A few copies plus original in hand writing does not mean all copies were in cursive.
As far as personal writing, were you really going to carry around a typewriter to handle just any little thing you might need to note? And no, typing has to be learned to be fast. About it being faster - I am pretty good after a semester but I’m only 35wpm at best. Good secretaries go much higher, and that is both talent and more training.
Too many people in the PC age just don’t learn typing. They hunt and peck, and teeny alpha boards are worse.
A kid can learn writing pretty easily. All he really needs is to know what the letters look like, copy it, then he’s set for life with a small cheap instrument that doesn’t rely on electricity. It’s like riding a bike.