Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker
RPN is the notation of evil. I know it's easier to process -- just push your operands on the stack and all -- but I want my computing devices to work to make things easier for me, not for me to have to work to make things easier for them.
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I LOVED my Russian-made RPN calculator,
Elektronika MK54.
And it was programmable! I was programming before the first personal computers appeared here.
Back in my day in grammar school a calculator was relatively rare, very valuable and quite expensive item. Often pupils from the next class (7.B., I was 7.A.) rushed into our class (and vice versa) "quick, I need to borrow a calculator, we are going to have Math, (or Physics) test". I hated lending my precious calculator. So when somebody came, I just asked them to perform a 5 x 3 calculation. Then I proceed to explain how registers work "Press 5, putting it into X register, press Up arrow, moving the number to Y register and insert 3 onto X. Now press * to multiply registers X and Y ... Wait, do not run away, there is also register Z and T ..." I haven't met anybody who wouldn't run away ;-)
And I loved using my slide rule (called Logarithmic ruler here).
My math teacher used to turn her eyes up in quite exasperated way when I pulled out my slide rule (and she thought I do not see her). I loved "annoying" her that way ;-) . But I could afford to pull her leg, because I was able to solve mathematical and physics tasks using my slide and my favorite set of mathematical tables faster than anybody else, even with the use of fancy calculator.
I wanted to get circular slide rule. I even tried to make one repeatedly. Now, that I think about it, it might be fun weekend project using an A3 laser printer.
By the way, look at my avatar. One of my favorite slide rules is on the top of the MicroVax supercomputer.