Is super-accuracy matters?

[Johnh]

With personal computers for everyone, now mostly slim portable laptops, all backed up, with lots of apps and also powerful spreadsheets etc, the compelling need to work the numbers with a calculator has receded.

Engineers, scientists and financial professionals have always needed tools to do this. For about 25 years as an engineer, my programmable calcs were my most direct and personal access to number-crunching day by day. The PC's were there, but clunky, maybe shared. The calculators were quick and direct and quite powerful.

But now you can definitely manage without one, but most engineers still have a calculator on their desk. It's part of the thinking process. But almost nobody uses programmable calculators any more. Anything which 30-40 years ago would have been ideal to run on an HP41 or HP15c, is now probably more professionally put into Excel.

But an HP calculator is still a beautiful thing, and I run mine for the quick ad-hoc numbers that help me think through a problem. And I use a few small programs to help me do that.

And accuracy is fine. most engineeting calculations, at least in my field (structures) only need 4 or 5 decimal places and any more are meaningless.

[Matt Agajanian]

(11-18-2023 11:11 AM)Johnh Wrote:  With personal computers for everyone, now mostly slim portable laptops, all backed up, with lots of apps and also powerful spreadsheets etc, the compelling need to work the numbers with a calculator has receded.

Engineers, scientists and financial professionals have always needed tools to do this. For about 25 years as an engineer, my programmable calcs were my most direct and personal access to number-crunching day by day. The PC's were there, but clunky, maybe shared. The calculators were quick and direct and quite powerful.

But now you can definitely manage without one, but most engineers still have a calculator on their desk. It's part of the thinking process. But almost nobody uses programmable calculators any more. Anything which 30-40 years ago would have been ideal to run on an HP41 or HP15c, is now probably more professionally put into Excel.

But an HP calculator is still a beautiful thing, and I run mine for the quick ad-hoc numbers that help me think through a problem. And I use a few small programs to help me do that.

And accuracy is fine. most engineeting calculations, at least in my field (structures) only need 4 or 5 decimal places and any more are meaningless.

Excellent points. Even with something as trimmed down as an iPad, Samsung Galaxy tablet, or even an iPhone or Samsung smartphone, a robust enough version of Excel has impressive potential. My thing is that since I have been collecting, developing algorithms for preprogrammed calculators since ‘72 as well as writing programs for programmables since ‘76, I’m partial and deeply dedicated to calculators and I’d be immensely disappointed to see calculators go by way of the rotary telephone. I would hope calculators would still be around in the 22nd century and further.

[klesl]

Tablest and smartphones are usually more expensive than calculators. There are situations when you don't have access to PC and destroying tablets/smartphones are worse than destroying cheap calculators (e.g. you are in the workshop, production line, shop, on holiday)
I have small scientific calculators for such purposes (casio fx-82 solar II and canon f-605g).

[nickapos]

(11-18-2023 11:11 AM)Johnh Wrote:  With personal computers for everyone, now mostly slim portable laptops, all backed up, with lots of apps and also powerful spreadsheets etc, the compelling need to work the numbers with a calculator has receded.

Engineers, scientists and financial professionals have always needed tools to do this. For about 25 years as an engineer, my programmable calcs were my most direct and personal access to number-crunching day by day. The PC's were there, but clunky, maybe shared. The calculators were quick and direct and quite powerful.

But now you can definitely manage without one, but most engineers still have a calculator on their desk. It's part of the thinking process. But almost nobody uses programmable calculators any more. Anything which 30-40 years ago would have been ideal to run on an HP41 or HP15c, is now probably more professionally put into Excel.

But an HP calculator is still a beautiful thing, and I run mine for the quick ad-hoc numbers that help me think through a problem. And I use a few small programs to help me do that.

And accuracy is fine. most engineeting calculations, at least in my field (structures) only need 4 or 5 decimal places and any more are meaningless.

I fully agree with you, I find that it is very handy to have a calculator at hand even when you have all your calculations in a spreadsheet, or your dedicated professional software. I have worked for many years in the banking sector and I often have had to calculate intermediate results as a way to verify that my input was correct. Initially I was using a regular 4 banger provided by the bank, but eventually switched to my own scientific calculator that had a history and editing capabilities. Back then I did not have any HP, I was using mostly Sharp and Casio.
I do believe that there is still space for a calculator in the professional fields, but as an auxiliary device and not the primary calculation machine.
Also portability and form factor is still key, i often reach out for my calculator even though I have in front of me several computer and displays. Its layout is ideal for quick calculations, where with a computer it might not be as straightforward.

[Pekis]

(11-18-2023 05:24 PM)nickapos Wrote:  [...] I do believe that there is still space for a calculator in the professional fields, but as an auxiliary device and not the primary calculation machine.
Also portability and form factor is still key, i often reach out for my calculator even though I have in front of me several computer and displays. Its layout is ideal for quick calculations, where with a computer it might not be as straightforward.

Especially if you look at numbers on computer display and want to check them quickly: you don't want to launch Excel, wait ... , having to remember function names ... for a small calculation

[johnb]

(11-18-2023 11:35 AM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  I would hope calculators would still be around in the 22nd century and further.

The 22nd century is 77 years away; 77 years ago was 1946: slide rules, desktop mechanical calculators, computers were mostly built from relays, ENIAC was brand new and VERY "SF", the Curta handheld mechanical hadn't even been released yet.

So predicting this far in the future is difficult at best. However, my handy-dandy Time Crystal may allow me a peek or two...

I see calculators as unique devices going by the wayside, and what is now the cellphone becomes an even more general-purpose terminal. However, as technology progresses, I anticipate the touch screen also going by the wayside, for all the reasons why they are hated by most HP-lovers. Instead, I imagine that the UI of the future is a display that can dynamically change its texture, and to some degree the surface elevation of various points. So, amazingly, Plus42 or its grandchild may still be "a thing" but it causes your pocket terminal to have what seem like actual keys, complete with up/down motion, a "click", and tactile feedback.

Other software would "build" something like a joystick or track-button with 2.5 axes of motion. Or a contour graph that you could manipulate by touching. Or a set of sliders. Or whatever is needed, within the limits of the tactile/haptic input surface.

Either that... or we'll all have VR ocular and nerve implants and Skynet just materializes virtual objects for you that you can see and feel... certain less-than-legitimate "industries" will have a field day with that...

[Jake Schwartz]

(11-20-2023 11:41 PM)johnb Wrote:  

(11-18-2023 11:35 AM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  I would hope calculators would still be around in the 22nd century and further.

...
Instead, I imagine that the UI of the future is a display that can dynamically change its texture, and to some degree the surface elevation of various points. So, amazingly, Plus42 or its grandchild may still be "a thing" but it causes your pocket terminal to have what seem like actual keys, complete with up/down motion, a "click", and tactile feedback.

...

Funny you mentioned this...a concept similar to this was presented 14 years ago at the HHC2009 HP calculator conference in Fort Collins, Colorado. Find it here and here .

Thanks,
Jake