werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (12/14/84)
> { ... zzzzzzzz} > Sure it is okay to use calculators in school for complex functions but not > before you can do the basics on your own. An ability to estimate the range > of the answer is pretty useful too. Maybe we should teach the use of slide > rules beore they can use a calculator!! :-) > > Chris Smith ==>> {bpa,psuvax,sdcrdcf}!burdvax!ccsmith Why the :-) after that suggestion. I protest. I went to school just at the very time calculators were coming down (As a freshman, $89; as a Senior, $19). We had to learn slide-rules for the first Chem test, after which we could use a Calculator. (1977-78 was the year). I never bought a calculator that entire year, kept the slide rule, and was faster than most of the other people. It fit in a book. (Back then calculators were big and bulky, not credit cards) Not only that, to this day, I can do rough multiplication and calculations in my head -- because I had to. The suggestion may seem like a joke. But I say it is a very good idea!!! -- Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner What do you expect? Watermelons are out of season!
paul@osu-eddie.UUCP (Paul Placeway) (12/19/84)
Use a slide rule? Nope, sorry. I can touch-type my HP 41cv fast enough so that there is no reason for me to use a slide rule or other device (the HP is worth every penny; it has run for 4 years like new, but my old ti58 only lasted 3 1/2 before it fried it's own chips and the keyboard broke. If you don't like RPN, that's your loss). Knowing how to estimate ranges is usefull, however, when the numbers get bigger than 9e99 (not that often, but every once in a while...) "I even like the chicken if Paul W. Placeway the sauce is not too blue..." The Ohio State University (UUCP: cbosgd!osu-eddie!paul) (CSNet: paul@ohio-state)