The original handheld (digital) calculator.

[Integral]

The original handheld calculator.

Curta

This was designed in Buchenwald, the German concentration camp, the first prototypes built from the original hand drawings worked. It was manufactured from 1948 till ~1970 when cheap electronic calculators came on the market.

I would love to hold one of these mechanical beauties and feel the gears at work! (Can be had for ~$1000 on Ebay.)

There is a article about the history of the man and the machine in the Jan 04 Sci. Am.

 

[one_raven]

WOW!
What an absolutely brilliant design!

I am impressed.
I want one.

 

[Integral]

Yeah, me too! I think I am in love! Unfortunatly they are simply to expensive a toy at this point in my life.

 

[one_raven]

Originally posted by Integral
Yeah, me too! I think I am in love! Unfortunatly they are simply to expensive a toy at this point in my life.

And unfortunately for me, my girlfriend would say the same about me (although she is wrong).

 

[Integral]

I originally posted this in Engineerind design, cus this is such a beautiful example of a well engineered product, but, on second thoughts. It is not about design. But a really cool and amazing machine.

 

[dduardo]

But the real question is: Can it run Linux?

 

[jimmy p]

What a BEAST! and if someone annoys you, you can club them with it! (see Ivan's thread) THat is really great and i think that it should be made cumpulsory in every home, as a great calculator, and a handy security measure, in case of break-ins.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I thought a thread titled: "The original handheld calculator." would be about the abacus. Ever used an abacus, Integral?

 

[jimmy p]

i was thinking of abacuses (abaci??) but you still have to do the working out anyway don't you? It is just a visual aid i thought...

 

[MacTech]

what a great toy, i would try to use it on a test but of course it probably isn't on the list of accepted calcs lol.

 

[Integral]

Originally posted by jimmy p
What a BEAST! and if someone annoys you, you can club them with it! (see Ivan's thread) That is really great and i think that it should be made cumpulsory in every home, as a great calculator, and a handy security measure, in case of break-ins.

Did you actually look at the dimensions on this thing? It is 55mm in Diameter and 85mm long! you consider this a bludgeon?


I have seen handheld electonic calculators bigger then this. i.e. a TI 9X what ever the number on those huge inelegant monsters is.

 

[jimmy p]

It could be a mini-club. Yeah, graphical calculators are also beasts. And damn annoying.

 

[motai]

Pretty clever design, incorporating a calculator in the shell of a pencil sharpener. Now... can it still sharpen pencils?

Lets see Texas Instruments make a calculator that dual functions as a pencil sharpener.

Commercialize it: "Broken pencil? Forgot your calculator? Have no fear, Curta is here!"

 

[PrudensOptimus]

does it do sin and cosin?

 

[Integral]

Originally posted by PrudensOptimus
does it do sin and cosin?

Does sin fine...for small angles!

 

[The_Professional]

That calculator reminds me of the ENIAC . A total monstrosity of a machine which filled an entire room and weighed thirty tons.

 

[Integral]

Not sure why something that fits in the palm of your hand would remind you of a monstrosity? This little mechanical calculator is about as elegant as mechanical design can get.

A Monstrosity? What could you be thinking!

 

[The_Professional]

I must be needing some sleep.. it looked big to me. I meant big as a car battery, not a full room!

/goes to bed

 

[jimmy p]

Originally posted by The_Professional
That calculator reminds me of the ENIAC . A total monstrosity of a machine which filled an entire room and weighed thirty tons.

Now THAT'S a bludgeoning implement...if i had quite a few like-minded friends with forklift trucks...