How the pocket calculator paved the way for the digital age
How the pocket calculator paved the way for the digital age
Culture | Coolly calculatingThe evolution of the calculator offers a new perspective on the history of computing Aug 31st 2023WHEN 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”Culture September 2nd 2023How to write a bestseller Betty Friedan and America’s forgotten feministsLong feared, volcanoes help the planetHow the pocket calculator paved the way for the digital ageSome developers are pushing back against violent video gamesChinese food is more diverse than Western eaters might thinkFrom the September 2nd 2023 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the editionReuse this content