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Cyhist Feb 11 1997 A
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Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 13:15:20 -0500
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: "A. Padgett Peterson P.E. Information Security"
<PADGETT@hobbes.orl.mmc.com>
Subject: Re: digital watches
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>I don't remember about the calculators but I remember the first digital watch -- called Pulsar. It came out in the early 70's (about the same time as the 4004), and had an LED display which used too much power to leave on all the time, so you had to push a button to tell the time.
As yes, I remember it well. Had a later one (after the price dropped) and what I always liked about the LED wathches was if you did not want to know what time it was, it would not tell you (I now consider it a luxury not to wear a watch - one gentleman going on and on about his new Rolex did not appreciate that 8*).
Personal favorite is the line of Texas Instrument watches (about 1975 or so) that had an LCD that showed an analog clock face - only digital digit was the date. Still have mine but the chronograph part was somewhat flawed - showed an increasing band of dots around the face that was very hard to read (and my most common use was to calibrate speedometers).
As for calculators, my first was a Commodore US-4 (implying 1 through 3 prior ?) that had a blue readout (1972 ? - pretty sure that was year because was a junior in college and stopped using it because I was forgetting how to do math in my head). Was followed by a Commodore SR-99 (Slide Rule) that was the first algebraic calculator I saw with parens (nesting) that would have been in 1974. HP-35 was first scientific (at $395 - 1971 ?) and TI-50 followed a bit later but half the price. My first TI was a SR-51 in 1975 (Class "E" reject - had problem with hyperbolics) followed soon after by a TI-Programmer with hex conversion (have both LED and LCD versions).
Is this getting afield of CYHIST or is there interest ?
Warmly,
Padgett
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: "A. Padgett Peterson P.E. Information Security"
<PADGETT@hobbes.orl.mmc.com>
Subject: Re: digital watches
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>I don't remember about the calculators but I remember the first digital watch -- called Pulsar. It came out in the early 70's (about the same time as the 4004), and had an LED display which used too much power to leave on all the time, so you had to push a button to tell the time.
As yes, I remember it well. Had a later one (after the price dropped) and what I always liked about the LED wathches was if you did not want to know what time it was, it would not tell you (I now consider it a luxury not to wear a watch - one gentleman going on and on about his new Rolex did not appreciate that 8*).
Personal favorite is the line of Texas Instrument watches (about 1975 or so) that had an LCD that showed an analog clock face - only digital digit was the date. Still have mine but the chronograph part was somewhat flawed - showed an increasing band of dots around the face that was very hard to read (and my most common use was to calibrate speedometers).
As for calculators, my first was a Commodore US-4 (implying 1 through 3 prior ?) that had a blue readout (1972 ? - pretty sure that was year because was a junior in college and stopped using it because I was forgetting how to do math in my head). Was followed by a Commodore SR-99 (Slide Rule) that was the first algebraic calculator I saw with parens (nesting) that would have been in 1974. HP-35 was first scientific (at $395 - 1971 ?) and TI-50 followed a bit later but half the price. My first TI was a SR-51 in 1975 (Class "E" reject - had problem with hyperbolics) followed soon after by a TI-Programmer with hex conversion (have both LED and LCD versions).
Is this getting afield of CYHIST or is there interest ?
Warmly,
Padgett
______________________________________________________________________
