[sdiy] math question - somewhat OT

[john mahoney]

----- Original Message ----- 
>
> i guess you don't have a graphing calculator?

Graphing calculators?!! We use slide rules 'round here, young man! ;-)

Yeah, right. Raise your hand if you have used a slide rule within the
past 10 years. 20 years?

I'm just young enough that "slide rule calculators" were affordable by
the time I took Trig. I remember that a decent TI cost about $50 in
1978 or 79.

Look at incredible the price drop from 1975...
http://www.datamath.org/Sci/WEDGE/sr-51a.htm

... to 1976:
http://www.datamath.org/Sci/MAJESTIC/sr-51-II.htm

In 1977 it finally became programmable!
http://www.datamath.org/Sci/MAJESTIC/TI-55.htm

TIs ruled and H-Ps were considered exotic at my high school. More
expensive, plus RPN was (is) confusing to most students.

Oh, the memories. (Bad pun, I know!)
--
john