jdow wrote:
From: "Chris Hoogendyk" <hoogen...@bio.umass.edu>
Sent: Thursday, 2009/December/17 10:07
Steve Lindemann wrote:
I think I still have a Model B in the loft somewhere...
Kevin
I've seen CP/M mentioned but no mention of the venerable Kaypro! Oh
those were the days.... 8^)
But my first digital computer (at work) was a Raytheon 703 with
paper tape to load programs (after you fingered in the boot) and
output was the lights on the front panel. I also worked on analog
computers for a number of years, it wasn't so much programming as
re-engineering. I actually do miss those days.
A skilled practitioner could get 5 digits out of this baby:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule (I still have the yellow
one). If you needed more rigorous but still relatively easy and
quick, you would use this: http://ljkrakauer.com/CRC99ph/CRCbook.htm.
I still have my K&E Log Log Duplex Decitrig. It still works. And it's
still aligned despite it's being bamboo.
Learning to calculate with slide rules is an important step to being
numerate. You can forget actually using the slide rule. But being able
to hammer out answers on it for complex problems leads to a really good
ability to estimate answers. That way when the nice digital CPU coughs
up a digital hairball answer to a problem you can see the error at a
glance.
bingo.
I like the way you stated that.
--
---------------
Chris Hoogendyk
-
O__ ---- Systems Administrator
c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments
(*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
<hoogen...@bio.umass.edu>
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Erdös 4
