A bit of fun for all you gadget freaks

[slowmotion]

I could cast off a whole book using type tables .

I'm curious @User13710 . How does that work? I know nothing about type or printing.

 

[Gravity Aided]

It's neither of those though I did have a Faber Castell. When I peeked in geekiness I used to participate in slide rule calculation competitions that my sixth form physics teacher used to organise. We used to talc the grooves to minimise friction on our slip sticks and stop the jumping past the aimed values which required correction and slowing down the calculations.

Keuffel and Esser man, myself. Had a dang holster for the thing, as well. Then my cousin, an engineer at NASA, showed me an electronic calculator, which blew my 10 year old mind. Also had a holster. Never used the holster, as I would have been branded uncool. I had enough of those points against me already. It was some time before prices and availability made calculators available to all, but I knew what was coming. What shocked me most about the first electronic calculators was the light emitting diode numbers. Never saw anything glow like that from within before. It was a revelation. Too rock stupid to make anything of it though.

 

[cyberknight]

On the nostalgia front I've just unearthed a slide rule and, much to my amazement, I can remember how to use it.

Do they still teach logarithms at school ? im sure i have a log book knocking around somewhere still .

 

[Gravity Aided]

I remember my final examination in a university level graphics and printing course included the ability to draw an entire typeface, A-z and 1-10. Among other things. Word processors came out a couple of years later. And we had to observe and detail the use of a Merganthaler hot lead machine for casting type. Even after offset had come in.

 

[Haitch]

When I was at university there was one computer, in the Maths department. You had to make an appointment to look at it. The computer had its own room and was operated by two men in white lab coats, who spent most of the day playing golf on it.

 

[Hacienda71]

I had an abacus........I was only 3 at the time though.

 

[Gravity Aided]

When I was at university there was one computer, in the Maths department. You had to make an appointment to look at it. The computer had its own room and was operated by two men in white lab coats, who spent most of the day playing golf on it.

A very large computer, or just a putting green?

 

[ufkacbln]

Slightly OT

I used to enjoy x raying various bits and pieces of mud and dirt from the local museum.

We used to find allsorts inside and it was then possible to decide the best way to extract the object

When I retire I quite fancy setting up a company where I X Ray your (inanimate) objects for a fee.

 

[nickyboy]

Do they still teach logarithms at school ? im sure i have a log book knocking around somewhere still .

They do, I have had the pleasure of revisiting this with son's maths homework. Once they understand the principle of why you add and subtract logs it becomes easy to explain

I am just a bit too young for slide rules and have never used one. How do they work? I presume it is logarithmically based but no idea of the detail

 

[rich p]

They do, I have had the pleasure of revisiting this with son's maths homework. Once they understand the principle of why you add and subtract logs it becomes easy to explain

I am just a bit too young for slide rules and have never used one. How do they work? I presume it is logarithmically based but no idea of the detail

It involves a cursor - but the swear filter might object.
Mine was a pale green and white jobby and I loved it, although unlike Vernon, I can't remember how it worked.

 

[ufkacbln]

They do, I have had the pleasure of revisiting this with son's maths homework. Once they understand the principle of why you add and subtract logs it becomes easy to explain

I am just a bit too young for slide rules and have never used one. How do they work? I presume it is logarithmically based but no idea of the detail

You have no idea what you have missed!

 

[rich p]

Mine was probably a Faber and Castell one having googled.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1614...3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108

55 quid!!!!!

 

[slowmotion]

Thank you very much @User13710. It sounds like quite an art.

 

[psmiffy]

Mine was probably a Faber and Castell one having googled.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1614...3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108

55 quid!!!!!

Mine was classier than that - hardwood centre with brass inserts - used it at work when I started (almost certainly became regular tech rather than trainee as I was the only one who could use one) - my best one was one of my fathers circular slide rules - aluminium - and faster to use than a linear one

 

[threebikesmcginty]

When I was at university there was one computer, in the Maths department. You had to make an appointment to look at it. The computer had its own room and was operated by two men in white lab coats, who spent most of the day playing golf on it.

We had a similar effort at Upper School, huge room, tons of computer stuff, bits of ticker tape spewed out that more than likely meant nothing to anyone. Probably more technology now in a greetings card that plays a tune when you open it.