On Fri, 8 May 1998 Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk wrote:
> Some years ago, when I was secondary school (grade|high school), someone
> donated two calculators which sat on a side table in the school computer
> room. One was a nice but not that rare wind-the-handle Facit. The
> other was more modern and electronic.
>
> The electronic one was interesting mainly for its display. It was
> fluorescent (greenish digits sealed in a long glass tube), but not
> 7-segment. Instead, there were (I think) nine segments, all of strange
> curly shapes, which made up digits much easier to read than the angular,
> blocky, 7-segment types. But I can no longer remember how these were
> arranged, nor even any details like the manufacturer of the calculator.
These are called "Nixie Tubes". But don't ask me much more about it. I
just know what they're called. I have at least one nixie-tube calculator
(I think, gotta go check) and had a chance to get one the other day at a
thrift shop but it was priced too much for me. When I changed my mind and
went back to get it, it was gone :(
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar_at_siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't blame me...I voted for Satan.
Coming in September...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0
See
http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
[Last web page update: 05/05/98]
Received on Fri May 08 1998 - 11:20:50 BST