The evolution of the calculator offers a new perspective on the history of computing
WHEN WAS the last time you used a calculator? Having enjoyed a brief heyday in the 1970s, these once miraculous-seeming gizmos now mostly languish in desk drawers. Keith Houston’s sprightly history aims to give the calculator the recognition it deserves as a stepping stone to the digital era. Calculators, he argues, “helped usher in the world of ubiquitous computing”.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Coolly calculating”
From the September 2nd 2023 edition
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