[sdiy] math question - somewhat OT

[Magnus Danielson]

From: "john mahoney" <jmahoney at gate.net>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] math question - somewhat OT
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 17:19:00 -0400
Message-ID: <174e01c4a020$9f883d00$6500a8c0 at BABYUTEST>

John,

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >
> > i guess you don't have a graphing calculator?
> 
> Graphing calculators?!! We use slide rules 'round here, young man! ;-)

You got to use slide rules? Maaan you are lucky! We are not even allowed to
use our finger when we need to count to one!

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

Not in the last 10 years, but in the decade before that I did. I think I should
dig them up and start using them at work, that should make people shut up! ;O)

> 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

I never got into the TIs. I got started in Casio and ended up with a HP. That
still does the important stuff despite the portable computer I drag along with
me wherever I go to "work". That I do my economical calculations in Maxima is
another thing...

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

Yeah, but that was the way we divided the crowd you know... if people can
handle the RPN they can handle whatever crap we toss their way, and giving the
crap we tend to toss away not even half-finished we bloody need them!

See?

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

Yeah, we are suppries you had any left, we tought you ruled it out!
(Now how was that for a bad pun? Calculated?)

Cheers,
Magnus