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Why is everyone on HN so fascinated with calculators? Was that your first real pc that you could program?
by sourcecodeplz 5mo ago
Why is everyone on HN so fascinated with calculators? Was that your first real pc that you could program?
- siva7 5mo agoIt's not about the calculator. I don't even know how to use one beyond basics. Similiar like luxury watches. I can't even read the time. It's about the craftsmanship .
- slim 5mo agobuttons ? knobs ? we are fascinated by machines. It's curiosity about the inner workings of the machine and fascination by the mistery of the closed box. you can observe that in certain kids
- red_admiral 5mo agoDon't forget Blinkenlights, as they were called back in the day! This kind of thing just makes me feel happier than touchscreens: https://hackaday.com/2023/12/28/your-home-mainframe/ https://hackaday.com/2023/12/28/your-home-mainframe/
- retired 5mo agoUnironically yes. Plenty of millennials I know learned how to program on their TI-83.
- Natsu 5mo agoNot me! I didn't have a TI, I had a Casio calculator and wrote games on that during math class.
- kotaKat 5mo agoIt's a reliable piece of equipment you can ask 2+2 and get 4 every time, unlike the modern LLM that will give you a story about why it's actually five.
- analog31 5mo agoI wouldn't say it's a fascination, but a pocket calculator next to my computer is still quicker and easier for me than pulling up a calculator app. Also, it's preferable in the lab, machine shop, or my basement workshop. I confess that I use a cheap solar Casio scientific for this purpose, not RPN. That dates back to when my RPN calculator was destroyed in the lab by accident, and I replaced it with something cheaper.