I'm not sure it was by choice. Sinclair used a four-function calculator chip and reprogrammed it to do scientific functions, though very slowly. I suspect he was then pushed for space.
This was quite small, and used AAA batteries, which didn't help. The LED display was so small than each digit had a plastic magnifying bubble over it. But there was no other scientific calculator anywhere near it in price, which I think was GBP14.99, a fiver more if bought assembled.
I believe they all do, as counter-intuitively, the two stages are much easier than compiling the expression directly.
My first two calculators one was a VFD display, the other a red LED, they did indeed eat batteries ...
Ah the good old VFD display. The first normal (not RPN) calculator I used was a Sinclair (I think) that just did the four functions and nothing else: cheap and cheerful. But batteries only lasted a few days. At least my dad's HP45 used a rechargeable battery so the only cost was the mains to recharge it.
I'm surprised that anything still uses VFDs, but about 10 years ago I was staying in a holiday apartment and the new cooker had a VFD for the clock. And that had a horrible flicker: I think they must have been pulsing each segment in turn at mains frequency, rather than at several kHz, so if you saw the display out of the corner of your eye (flicker is most noticeable in peripheral vision) it looked horrible.
I wonder if any calculators ever used those neon Nixie tubes? ;-)
I remember wondering why "new" (in the 1970s) digital watches with LED displays only displayed the time for a few seconds and then blanked the display, instead of displaying the time permanently as with an analogue watch that had hands. Then I worked out the current consumption and realised why the display wasn't on permanently.
I had (use of) a calculator with VFD display in the 70s. The display was blue behind a green tinted screen. It was powered by 2 AA batteries. You could use alkalines or NiCads. There was a mains unit which could power it directly or charge the NiCads if present. I suppose there must have been some kind of voltage multiplier as I thing VFDs need about 18V for the HT.
Indeed. Some details of how they did it are here:
Desktop calculators certainly did - things almost the size of a PC base unit, that only did the four basic maths functions + square root.
Like this:
It was my point, really. I could manage on a zero spend for groceries if I eat out all the time.
I'll ask again. Are you retired etc, so take each and every meal at home?
I do not remember living in a house without gas central heating - but I did until I was 4 years old.
In the 80's when I worra lad we also had a coal fire as my Dad used to get a coal (smokeless fuel) allowance and if you did not take it you lost it.
That was a complete waste of a set up as it only heated the lounge and did not heat the DHW. Although to be fair in winter if you built the fire up a bit at night and left the lounge to hall door open it kept the house warm.
Not necessarily. Recursive descent will do it on one, and I've used that in the past.
I've just been doing that, too. To mimic the IBM HFP instructions (hex floating point). Well, almost.
And yet you 'say' it is stupid not having one!
Not as stupid as arguing with a known troll.
Tim
My parents house had a back boiler to the coal fire as built in the 30s. Which did the hot water. The cylinder was changed to one with an immersion heater for when the coal fire wasn't needed.
I can remember coal being delivered by a steam lorry.
When I was skint I used to make then for work - or make pasta meals etc
When actually working away and stopping overnight we are given £20 cash upfront for every night you are away.
I could not spend that when working in London on Oxford Street (well I could - but it was easy not to). There was a Sainsburys 2 minutes away from work and loads of takeaways and a Wetherspoons around the corner from the digs.
Actually I did spend it, but that was at the bar and not on food :-)
Just in case you don't already know, HMRC now allow up to £25 tax- and NICs-free. And you could argue London needs a higher rate than other UK places. But probably best not cite the £8 pints of beer as evidence
It £5 a pint or more up here.
Just paid £4.50 a pint when helping my son move his stuff from university halls to a shared house in Headingley today.
I think it was around that price +/- 20p around Peterborough on Jubilee piss-up Thursday.
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