Delay lines

From: Doug Yowza <yowza_at_yowza.com>
Date: Sat Mar 21 01:21:43 1998

On Fri, 20 Mar 1998, Kip Crosby wrote:

> >> But the calculator collectors have their own lists, don't they?
> >
> >True... I'd just not object to the odd thread on [calculators]
> >particularly if they were historically significant (the HP9100...),
> >technically interesting, or whatever.
>
> Hear, hear! Especially since many so-called calculators were built by
> manufacturers not, for whatever reason, prepared to admit they were
> building computers -- with IBM and HP springing to mind at once.

I know people collect calculators, but I just can't imagine how it can
bring the same kind of satisfaction as computer collecting. You can't
really hack a calculator. They don't lend themselves very well to
restoration efforts. They can't do many tricks. And few of them have any
sort of personality (OK, I'll admit that HP tries pretty hard in this
area).

Has anybody ventured a definition of computer that allows us to weed out
mere calculators? How about:

* must be programmable
* must be general purpose
* must have alphanumeric input capabilites
* must have alphanumeric display capabilites

Unfortunately, this would mean that an Altair isn't a computer until you
add a terminal, but it keeps those pesky HP-65's out of the group.

-- Doug
Received on Sat Mar 21 1998 - 01:21:43 GMT