Michael wrote on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:51:25 -0700 (PDT):

> On Oct 19, 6:17 am, "Julie Bove" > wrote:
>> "Ophelia" > wrote in message
>>
>> Could be. I am old enough that I remember when calculators
>> came out. They were very expensive. We were never allowed
>> to have them in school. These days they are a requirement.
>>
>> My first calculator was a solar one. It required very strong
>> light to use it. Bought another one a couple of years later
>> that works even in dim light. I still have it but it's
>> starting to look decrepit. Still works though.

> I remember when the first calculators became available in the
> early 70's. A friend of my dad's brought his new calculator
> over to show it off. This calculator cost 800 dollars (this
> was in 1971 dollars), and all it did was added, subtracted,
> multiplied, divided, and gave the square root.

When I was growing up in Scotland, there was a peculiar state
requirement that we had to have a pass in Arithmetic for a High School
certificate. Since the exam could not be taken until the fifth year of a
six-year Scottish High School, we had a weekly lesson in Arithmetic with
home work to keep us in practice. Those of us taking advanced math and
science used to (unfairly) despise the class and would turn in work
calculated with a slide rule, which irritated the teacher immensely I
remember a five minute lecture on the iniquity of giving an answer as,
say, £ 1.581 instead of the expected £1, 11 shillings and 7 pence
ha'penny. You know, I can't even remember how to write that answer in
the old currency!


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not