Posts tagged slide rule

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Course manager and learning partners at August holiday programme in Electronic Data Processing at IBM Auckland, 1972 I’m the lad with the slide rule, front row. Described in: Mellalieu, P. J. (1972). August Holiday Programme [in Electronic Data Processing at IBM Auckland]. In J. Cogswell (Ed.), Cambridge High School Magazine - CHS 1972 (p. 16). Cambridge High School. Retrieved from http://pogus.tumblr.com/post/3304735044/during-the-august-holidays-i-rested-myself-from   

Course manager and learning partners at August holiday programme in Electronic Data Processing at IBM Auckland, 1972

I’m the lad with the slide rule, front row.

Described in:

Mellalieu, P. J. (1972). August Holiday Programme [in Electronic Data Processing at IBM Auckland]. In J. Cogswell (Ed.), Cambridge High School Magazine - CHS 1972 (p. 16). Cambridge High School. Retrieved from http://pogus.tumblr.com/post/3304735044/during-the-august-holidays-i-rested-myself-from 

 

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Tools for the mind: Sinclair Scientific calculator My friend Al brought his Sinclair for me to test. A set of new batteries and the device glowed away. “An ingenious aspect of the design which showed Sinclair’s inventiveness was that the machine made use of what was originally a 4-function calculator chip. Sinclair realised that by using RPN and allowing a reduced precision of 4 or 5 significant figures displayed in scientific notation, the algorithms for scientific functions could be redesigned and compacted to fit in the same programmable space on the chip. This allowed Sinclair to adapt the relatively low-cost processor and produce an ‘electronic slide rule’ that fitted easily in a shirt pocket, at a price that even impecunious students could afford.” My Sinclair Oxford 300 replaced my slide rule in 1975. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Scientific

Tools for the mind: Sinclair Scientific calculator

My friend Al brought his Sinclair for me to test. A set of new batteries and the device glowed away.

“An ingenious aspect of the design which showed Sinclair’s inventiveness was that the machine made use of what was originally a 4-function calculator chip. Sinclair realised that by using RPN and allowing a reduced precision of 4 or 5 significant figures displayed in scientific notation, the algorithms for scientific functions could be redesigned and compacted to fit in the same programmable space on the chip. This allowed Sinclair to adapt the relatively low-cost processor and produce an ‘electronic slide rule’ that fitted easily in a shirt pocket, at a price that even impecunious students could afford.”

My Sinclair Oxford 300 replaced my slide rule in 1975.Sinclair Oxford 300

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Scientific

Tools we love: Faber-Castell Engineering Slide Rule Used during undergraduate technology studies, Massey University, 1973-1976 until replaced by my Sinclair Oxford calculator (1975-), and (shared!) PDP-8 computer. I still display proudly the slide rule on my office wall, along with an abacus and Apple Newton. I’m unable to attach my ‘first’ poor-man’s Apple computer - a Commodre Amiga (1988) on my wall. But I still have it. Related articles by Zemanta Apple iPad vs Newton (whatisnoise.com) The Forgotten Apple Founder’s Unforgettable Mistake (e1evation.com) Apple TV is the Apple Newton of my generation (marketing.fm) Apple Newton Getting Started Video (e1evation.com) Therapy in a pencil case | Joe Moran (guardian.co.uk)

Tools we love: Faber-Castell Engineering Slide Rule

Used during undergraduate technology studies, Massey University, 1973-1976 until replaced by my Sinclair Oxford calculator (1975-), and (shared!) PDP-8 computer. I still display proudly the slide rule on my office wall, along with an abacus and Apple Newton. I’m unable to attach my ‘first’ poor-man’s Apple computer - a Commodre Amiga (1988) on my wall. But I still have it.

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