[HPCC-Conf] calculators for fun and prophet
Richard Schwartz
hpcc-conf@lists.handheld.org
Fri Oct 11 14:55:01 2002
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That was the reason that you and some others were attracted to PPC's =
(Programmable Pocket Calculators), but others had other reasons.
For example, here's my reason. As Jim Davidson wrote in his famous =
essay "Calculators as Recreation" ( available here: =
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=3D6qd1ve$h1l$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com ) =
some people simply love to PLAY with NUMBERS, and a hand-held calculator =
is the ideal toybox for us types. Whenever I'm waiting for a dental =
appointment (or almost anything else), I pull out my HP49G (ok, I =
confess! I like it!) and pound away at Fermat Primes and Compositorials =
and Repunits and Ulam's Conjecture (of course!) and so on. Can't do =
that half as easily with anything other than the HP49G!
Why not a Palm?
Another reason is that many of us enjoy programming PPC's as such. =
PPC's can be programmed in simple ways and in goofy locations; nothing =
else can satisfy the love of "couch hacking" like a PPC.
I do this with a Palm, albeit in basic for now. Someday soon I'll get =
forth to work for me.
Once I stepped into an elevator, started to ascend, was suddenly =
inspired with some goofy algorithm, whipped out my PPC, keyed it up and =
tried it out... all before the doors opened again! Can't do that with a =
laptop!=20
Once again, Palm does all this... and MORE! It BEAMS files to other =
machines! =20
And how about the programs you thunk up, keyed up, and debugged, all =
while driving? Oh, come on! Be HONEST! You KNOW you've done that! =
Well, okay, maybe not... but *I* have! And I've only been in three car =
wrecks! It would've been a lot MORE if I'd been using a laptop!
OK, I am convinced by you and by Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment. =
Franklin proved that the God actually does exist and intervenes from =
time to time in the material world. What normally happens when you fly =
a kite with a wet string in a thunderstorm?
The beach-bum half of my brain wants to add this reason: You know how =
people sit on the shore and look out to the sea, sometimes gazing for =
hours, never tiring of the view? It's because at some level, deep down, =
we all realize that that's where we came from. And no matter what =
wonderful tools and programming languages we learn, programming a PPC is =
a bit like a stroll on the beach, looking at the waves, and getting in =
touch with one's roots. Almost a religious experience.
Last time I tried that, I got me a sailboat. You want to buy it from =
me, cheap? My detached retina now has bigger visions, and I need the =
garage space for my telescope mirror grinding shop. Anyhow, Palm is =
truly the wave of the present... If I could just crack my first forth =
program for it.
. . . Richard
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<DIV><BR><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM>That was the reason that you =
and some=20
others were attracted to PPC's (Programmable Pocket Calculators), but =
others had=20
other reasons.<BR><BR>For example, here's my reason. As Jim =
Davidson wrote=20
in his famous essay "Calculators as Recreation" ( available here: =
</EM></FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=3D6qd1ve$h1l$1@nnrp1.dejanew=
s.com"><FONT=20
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2><EM>http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=3D6qd1ve$h1l$1@nnrp1.de=
janews.com</EM></FONT></A><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2><EM> ) some people simply love to PLAY with =
NUMBERS, and a=20
hand-held calculator is the ideal toybox for us types. Whenever =
I'm=20
waiting for a dental appointment (or almost anything else), I pull out =
my HP49G=20
(ok, I confess! I like it!) and pound away at Fermat Primes and =
Compositorials=20
and Repunits and Ulam's Conjecture (of course!) and so on. Can't =
do that=20
half as easily with anything other than the HP49G!</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Why not a Palm?</DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR><EM>Another reason is that many of us enjoy programming =
PPC's as=20
such. PPC's can be programmed in simple ways and in goofy =
locations;=20
nothing else can satisfy the love of "couch hacking" like a =
PPC.</EM></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do this with a Palm, albeit in basic for now. Someday =
soon=20
I'll get forth to work for me.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><EM>Once I stepped into an elevator, started to ascend, was =
suddenly=20
inspired with some goofy algorithm, whipped out my PPC, keyed it up and =
tried it=20
out... all before the doors opened again! Can't do that with a=20
laptop! </EM></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Once again, Palm does all this... and MORE! It BEAMS =
files to=20
other machines! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><EM>And how about the programs you thunk up, keyed up, and =
debugged, all=20
while driving? Oh, come on! Be HONEST! You KNOW you've =
done=20
that! Well, okay, maybe not... but *I* have! And I've only =
been in=20
three car wrecks! It would've been a lot MORE if I'd been using a=20
laptop!</EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM> </DIV>
<DIV>OK, I am convinced by you and by Benjamin Franklin's kite=20
experiment. Franklin proved that the God actually does exist =
and=20
intervenes from time to time in the material world. What =
normally=20
happens when you fly a kite with a wet string in a thunderstorm?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><EM>The beach-bum half of my brain wants to add this reason: You =
know how=20
people sit on the shore and look out to the sea, sometimes gazing for =
hours,=20
never tiring of the view? It's because at some level, deep down, we all =
realize=20
that that's where we came from. And no matter what wonderful tools =
and=20
programming languages we learn, programming a PPC is a bit like a stroll =
on the=20
beach, looking at the waves, and getting in touch with one's =
roots. Almost=20
a religious experience.<BR></EM></DIV>
<DIV>Last time I tried that, I got me a sailboat. You want =
to buy it=20
from me, cheap? My detached retina now has bigger visions, =
and I=20
need the garage space for my telescope mirror grinding shop. =
Anyhow,=20
Palm is truly the wave of the present... If I could just crack my first =
forth=20
program for it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>. . . Richard</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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