Calculators Before Semiconductors - John Dunn, Consultant, Ambertec, P.E., P.C.

There was a time in the days of yore when slide rules were in fashion when aids to doing simple arithmetic were not universally at hand. There was the story "Succoring A Soroban" by John T. Frye, W9EGV, in the March 1963 issue of Popular Electronics that addressed this fact.

Please see:  Succoring A Soroban

The story discussed the Japanese soroban which we might better know as the abacus. From that story we read: "The Japanese government gives examinations and issues three grades of licenses for operating the instrument. No one starting to study the soroban after he was out of his teens has ever been able to obtain a first-grade license."  

Here are the operating instructions:    

 

Also, for those who liked their calculating aids with a little different flavor, there was this device: 

The numbers were manipulated using a stylus. It reminds me of Bowmar's first electronic calculator which also required using a stylus.

I'm especially struck by the atomic energy symbol.

Comments

[Dave Gillooly]

Fear not, the slide rule is still alive--electronically!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-slide-rule/id421890273?mt=8
http://appfinder.lisisoft.com/tag/slide-rule.html