Re:Electronics That Last: How I Built an Heirloom Laptop
by slantyyz on Saturday January 16, 2016 @12:55PM
(#10916051)
>> Somewhere on the continuum of abacus, slide rule. What's the computational era's equivalent? An HP-11, HP-12 series calculator?
I have my Dad's wooden abacus, which must be at least as old as I am (mid forties). It's obviously not Antiques Roadshow old, but as a child, I remember him using it for his bookkeeping instead of a calculator. He taught me how to use one, and as a kid, I got pretty quick at using it for simple arithmetic.
Of course, once tape calculators (and calculators in general) got cheaper, he stopped using it altogether. If I had kids, it's definitely something I would pass on.
I have my Dad's wooden abacus, which must be at least as old as I am (mid forties). It's obviously not Antiques Roadshow old, but as a child, I remember him using it for his bookkeeping instead of a calculator. He taught me how to use one, and as a kid, I got pretty quick at using it for simple arithmetic.
Of course, once tape calculators (and calculators in general) got cheaper, he stopped using it altogether. If I had kids, it's definitely something I would pass on.