Calculators are for sissies

[Fritzo]

I use Internet Slide Rule to figure out everything.

2+4? Got it covered.
Log of 3.2534? Got it covered.
Explaining to 12 year old what a slide rule is? Got it covered.

http://www.antiquark.com/sliderule/sim/n4es/virtual-n4es.html

 

[DesiPower]

yeah, stick it to them...

 

[OCNewbie]

I've never seen one of those things; looks intimidating

 

[KaOTiK]

I have one of these right next to me on my desk currently. It is my grandfathers (he was an architect). I swear it is some type of black magic. I should read the manual.

 

[gorcorps]

I use Internet Slide Rule to figure out everything.

2+4? Got it covered.
Log of 3.2534? Got it covered.
Explaining to 12 year old what a slide rule is? Got it covered.

http://www.antiquark.com/sliderule/sim/n4es/virtual-n4es.html

I would appreciate the explanation because I've never had one.

Go nuts, I'm seriously curious

 

[jersiq]

I would appreciate the explanation because I've never had one.

Go nuts, I'm seriously curious

I saw this page in one of the replies, didn't try it out. Tell me how it goes:
http://www.antiquark.com/sliderule/sim/sr-calcs-by-example.html

 

[Fritzo]

I would appreciate the explanation because I've never had one.

Go nuts, I'm seriously curious

Slide rules are amazingly useful and some can even make calculations on them faster than a calculator. Here's a rundown on how to use one:

http://sliderulemuseum.com/SR_Course.htm#Multiply

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Thanks, but I'll stick to calculators. My weapon of choice as an undergrad:

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Thanks, but I'll stick to calculators. My weapon of choice as an undergrad:

That's kick ass

I has a ti-84 silver edition.

 

[edro]

TI ftw

 

[Markbnj]

My Dad was an engineer. He bought me one of those and presented it to me with great solemnity in about 1972. Wish I'd kept it.

 

[gorcorps]

Slide rules are amazingly useful and some can even make calculations on them faster than a calculator. Here's a rundown on how to use one:

http://sliderulemuseum.com/SR_Course.htm#Multiply

Tried to do the first one and couldn't get it. Then I saw that there's a smaller scale on the left which is what I was using (it's on the same line) but apparently I should be using the ones far further down the ruler.

Meh, tech advances for a reason. I'm content leaving this one to the elders... they deserve to know something that mystifies me as much as computers mystify them

 

[IndyColtsFan]

TI ftw

Back in the day, we laughed at kids with TI and Casio calcs in engineering school.

 

[disappoint]

I had the TI-92. Symbolic integration and derivation FTW.

 

[SKORPI0]

2+4? Got it covered.
Log of 3.2534? Got it covered.

Never seen a slide rules that was accurate to 4 decimal places.
Used a K+E early '70s.

 

[SandEagle]

TI BA-35 for stats, accounting, cf analysis

 

[brianmanahan]

lol does your slide rule do matrix algebra, solve diff eqs, let you write programs or graph 2d or 3d equations?

ti-89 or get out

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I use Internet Slide Rule to figure out everything.

2+4? Got it covered.
Log of 3.2534? Got it covered.
Explaining to 12 year old what a slide rule is? Got it covered.

http://www.antiquark.com/sliderule/sim/n4es/virtual-n4es.html

That's great! It looks like the one I learned on.

 

[Printer Bandit]

 

[PowerEngineer]

My Dad was an engineer. He bought me one of those and presented it to me with great solemnity in about 1972. Wish I'd kept it.

The introduction of the HP-35 in 1972 was the "writing on the wall" for the sliderule. By 1974, every engineering student needed at least a TI SR-10 in order to stay competative during tests (which now assumed much faster numerical solution times). The fastest technological change I've ever experienced.

 

[dr150]

 

[Colt45]

The Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) was a digital computer produced for the Apollo program that was installed onboard each Apollo Command Module (CM) and Lunar Module (LM). The AGC provided computation and electronic interfaces for guidance, navigation, and control of the spacecraft. The AGC had a 16-bit word length, with 15 data bits and one parity bit. Most of the software on the AGC was stored in a special read only memory known as core rope memory, fashioned by weaving wires through magnetic cores, though a small amount of read-write core memory was provided.

Not to mention all the computers on the ground.

 

[Raizinman]

I was in high school just as calculators came into our lives. Yes, don't tell me how old I am. Anyway, our chemistry teacher taught us how to use a slide rule and they were mandatory in our class. I loved my slide rule. I purchased a very fancy one and was always amazed with what it could do. Because I was so adept at using one, during my SAT test, I created a slide rule using a few strips of scratch paper since i already memorized where most the numbers were and even though my home made slide rule was not exact, it did get me in the ball park for multiple choice answers much quicker. I won't tell you my SAT score as it will appear to be bragging.

 

[kranky]

Nothing wrong with calculators but...

People who are adept with a slide rule tend to know intuitively when an answer "seems" right. People using calculators don't seem to recognize wrong answers. They don't recognize when the magnitude of a number doesn't make sense given the problem.

I get frustrated with co-workers who (for example) don't seem to grasp that a given amount of production cannot ever decrease by more than 100%. Some people have had to have that explained more than once. They just punch numbers into a calculator and whatever it says must be right.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I had the TI-92. Symbolic integration and derivation FTW.

TI calcs (and to a lesser extent Casio calcs) finally caught up with and in some cases surpassed the HP calcs in the mid 90s, mainly due to HP canceling the advanced models on their drawing boards.

My HP 28S was stolen in my last semester of undergrad and replaced with an HP 48G, which I think most of the "higher end" HP calcs today seem to still be based on over 20 years later. I still preferred the 28S so maybe one day I'll grab one from eBay.