On 1/20/2014 10:53 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 16:46:54 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 1/20/14, 4:40 PM, amdx wrote:

You're not that old, you probably had a TI-30.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI-30 Note the Red LEDs.
Mikek


I believe the HP-30 and most other scientific calculators appeared after
I had received my M.A. We had a couple of clunky desktop calcs in the
math labs and our trusty K&E sliderules. In those days, you actually had
to know how to do the math, not that I was ever a whiz at math, but I
did ok.

I used to see calculators at work but they were big honking things
that cost as much as a small car. Around 1970 Intel released the 4004
processor showed up and the pocket calculator hit the market. A "4
banger" (add, subtract, multiply and divide) was still $100 in 1971. I
bought a Bomar.
A year later they would give you one free if you bought a tank of gas.


My first job out of the service was servicing electric adding machines.
They actually had service contracts with scheduled PMs. Them wuz the days.