[sdiy] math question - somewhat OT

[Scott Gravenhorst]

"john mahoney" <jmahoney at gate.net> wrote:
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Oren Leavitt"
>>
>> Anyway, I remember the old TIs - I think there was a model that
>stored
>> programs on magnetic strips that a little motorized reader would
>pull
>> through a slot on the side of the calculator.
>
>Wow, I'd forgotten about that! That one caused quite a sensation in
>Calculus class. Remember, kids, this was when PCs were just called
>"microcomputers," and those micros used cassette tape for storage. The
>affordable hard disk was still a few years away (and then it was $5000
>for 5 megabytes, and yes I mean megabytes).

My brother had one of those, it was an HP (RPN) programmable.  He had
been in the Navy and got hold of large magnet used in radar.  One day,
he placed it on top of the airconditioner in our apartment.  The next
day, he came home from work through a door right next to the magnet,
calculator and mag strips on the belt went right past the magnet.  He
kissed those programs goodbye...  It was pretty cool, but what a pain
if the read/record head is dirty (handling those strips probably leaves
all kinds of crud/body-oil on them).



>
>> I bought an HP15C back in 1983 and became an RPN geek....
>
>Brackets? We don't need no stinking brackets! *
>--
>john
>
>* Excuse the creative license: I know they are parentheses and not
>brackets.
>

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