Sorry that happened to you, but you misspelling your email is not exactly a "flawed" or "inadequate" process - in other words, it's not the equipment, it's the operator.
Frankly, I'm happy when I see a website that doesn't need me to re-type something like an email address. If I'm not willing to check and make sure I've spelled everything correctly, then that's on me, not on the website. Having to re-type it (or even use copy/paste) is an annoyance in my opinion.
Did you try calling Orbitz or were you only using emails? Sometimes calling (and asking for a supervisor if necessary) is the best way to get what you need done.
Next time you book through a third party (which I do frequently - Priceline and Hotwire mainly), save a screenshot of the confirmation page so that you have everything you need in case you need to cancel. I even print the confirmation page and bring it with me to the hotel as an added safety measure in case something weird happens there.