Old School Calculators Still Do It For Some

[Egan Ford]

http://gizmodo.com/5355805/old-school-calculators-still-do-it-for-some

[Bart (UK)]

I like the feel of a real culculator in the hand. For me it must be at least a basic scientific though (the functions of the original 35 would do just fine). That is why I still have a 32S on my desk. I think the pioneers were just the right size.

For portability when the physical one is too far away, my Nokia 5800 only has a four banger on it - useless. No free42 for it yet, but found a Java HP45 on HPcalc that is a bit small on the screen but works.

[DaveJ]

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I like the feel of a real culculator in the hand. For me it must be at least a basic scientific though (the functions of the original 35 would do just fine).

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Me too. I do 99.9% of my work on a basic scientific. Nothing beats it.

Dave.

[Thomas Radtke]

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I like the feel of a real culculator in the hand.

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Same here. Why should a tool designed for a specific task be replaced by something else? If you need a hammer, use a hammer, not the smartphone ;-).

[Palmer O. Hanson, Jr.]

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Why should a tool designed for a specific task be replaced by something else? If you need a hammer, use a hammer, not the smartphone ;-).

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If you need to travel, use a buggy. If you need to move something from one place to another, use a travois. If you need to write something, use a quill pen. And so on.

Let's don't be Luddites!

[Martin Pinckney]

Perhaps the analogies are getting a little muddled. I think Thomas' point would have been better made with 'If you need a hammer, use a hammer, not a multi-tool.'

As far as Luddites are concerned, they were against technological progress. This debate seems more about choosing specific-purpose devices vs. do-everything devices.

No?

[Thomas Radtke]

You're right about my intention, Martin.

About Luddites, it seems to be often used as a killer phrase. I'm really tired of this and usually stop any further discussion if it comes up.

[bill platt]

I own a "multi-tool" but almost never use it for anything other than merely admiring it's cleverness. A real screwdriver or saw or etc works so much better...

[Palmer O. Hanson, Jr.]

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Perhaps the analogies are getting a little muddled. I think Thomas' point would have been better made with 'If you need a hammer, use a hammer, not a multi-tool.'

As far as Luddites are concerned, they were against technological progress. This debate seems more about choosing specific-purpose devices vs. do-everything devices.

No?

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In many cases a hammer IS a multi-tool. I probably over-reacted to the "If you need a hammer, use a hammer" idea because of an article on home repairs that one should be able to do which appeared in the St. Petersburg Times. It discussed the idea of using a hammer to tap on a wall to find an underlying stud for support of a heavy picture. You can do it with a hammer -- just like I did it in the mid-twentieth century and my father and grandfather did it before me. Or, you can do it with one of those little magnetic devices which help you find nail heads. But in the twenty-first century the best tool is a specific purpose device known as an electronic stud finder.

[Bart (UK)]

If I need to travel 100 yards, do I need a car? If I need to move a crate do I use a truck? Why do I need a computer or a "space ship"-like calculator to do basic maths? I find it quicker & more efficient to have my 32s next to me than to call up the windows calculator & click the functions with a mouse. The 50G impresses others but not so easy to carry around the office in a pocket.

On a closing note I say: use a hammer .... ON the smartphone!! :-)

[Don Shepherd]

I think Steve Jobs is a genius, but the iphone is not for me. Last night my financial advisor was at my house and he wanted to show me the performance of some mutual fund using real-time wireless data on his iphone. He used his finger to scroll the screen left and right, and yes that is cool. But the final chart he called up had a font so small that I couldn't read it. So, despite the cool technology, what good is it if the final user interface does not convey any useful information? If there is a way to enlarge the font, my guy didn't know it. I want a 19-inch screen I can actually read. And some calculator user "manuals" (really just folded sheets) use fonts so small I need a magnifying glass to read them. They are useless.

[Jeff O.]

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On a closing note I say: use a hammer .... ON the smartphone!! :-)

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Spoken like a true Luddite! (I prefer the term curmudgeon:-))

(I am of course kidding. No offense or offence intended.)

[John McCormick]

Fancy toys are a theft hazard and typically have extended costs, and computers are rarely convenient away from desks. The user was able to achieve the desired end on a subway with a very portable and inexpensive tool no-one would bother to steal. Bravo. Speaking of "outdated" technology, here's a report about the contest between a messenger pigeon and ADSL+Internet. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8248056.stm

Edited: 11 Sept 2009, 11:57 a.m. after one or more responses were posted

[Martin Pinckney]

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... here's a report about the contest between a messenger pigeon and ADSL+Internet.

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