More or Less: Behind the Stats
A pocket-size history of the calculator
Feb 3, 2024
Keith Houston, author of Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator, discusses the evolution of calculators from the Arithmometer to pocket-sized devices in the 1970s and 1980s. It explores the competition between an abacus and an electromechanical calculator, the popularity of calculator watches, and the continued use of calculators in a digital age.
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Quick takeaways
- The development of calculators evolved from large, desk-sized machines to pocket-sized gadgets in the 1970s and 80s.
- Advancements in technology led to the transition from mechanical to electronic calculators, making them smaller, cheaper, and more widespread.
Deep dives
The Rise of Mechanical Calculators
The podcast episode explores the development of mechanical calculators, starting with the Arithmometer invented by Charles Avie Thomas. This calculator could add up to 16-digit numbers and was commercially successful. However, it was not portable and took up a whole desk. Kurt Hertstark, an Austrian inventor, later created a pocket-sized calculator called the Arithmometer, with the intention of gifting it to Adolf Hitler. This compact calculator was successful after the war, but its popularity declined with the advent of digital computing.
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