Who used to own this bad boy?
 

Used to own one many years ago, but never progressed far enough in math to use one! :D I used to use regularly aviation's version of the slide rule, the E6B.

Haha, there's one residing in Mr. KR's desk right this minute! I wonder if I could sell it on eBay?

For the record, Mr. KR does not (to my knowledge) own a pocket protector.

Are you sure about that? ;) ;) ;)

My daddy had several, but I never asked what they were, I just played with them. Thanx for the info!

LOL! I like to think I know everything about him but I suppose it's possible that there's a pocket protector in his past. Don't ask, don't tell, I guess :)

Speaking of outdated gadgets, how about this:
http://www.cleansweepsupply.com/pict...d/zbrt1618.jpg

I got something similar to this my junior year in college; it was cutting edge technology at the time. My daughters spied it when I was cleaning out the garage when we moved last year and were fascinated by it. "You have to put paper in it?" "What if you make a mistake?" "correction tape?"

It was like they'd unearthed a fossil or something :rolleyes:

Yup...had a slide rule for my high school chemistry class. Now they use computers and calculators. :)

I still have a typewriter.

The typewriter I first learned to type on was this one:

http://www.typewritermuseum.org/coll...ll/royal11.jpg

I think my mom still has it. I could probably sell it to a museum!

My high school chemistry teacher banned calculators, so my slide rule was my best friend!

What the heck is a slide rule?

I loved my slide rules. :D

I just found mine when I was cleaning out my parents closets. Lol.

My mom had one of those, too and I also learned to type on it! Remember how hard you'd have to press the keys? I think my pinky fingers are still unusually strong because of that.

Its an early form of a calculator. Once you learn the scales, you can move the ruler (you "slide" it) and that does the multiplication or division for you.

Although slide rules were rarely used for simple arithmetic.

The first practical pocket calculator was invented in a concentration camp by Dr. Curt Herzstark. It was called the Curta and was the mainstay of many an engineer and scientist until the 1970s, when digital pocket calculators replaced them. Early models command top dollar on eBay and other secondary collector markets.

The Curta calculator:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...50px-Curta.jpg

http://curta.org/curta-1-nolegend2.jpg

More info: http://curta.org/