Which Calculator to use when?

Counting devices, like the ever famous abacus, have been around since 2400BC -ish. But, what you may not know is that these beauties were first seen in their ’clockwork’ form in 1623. Is that earlier than you expected too? And the pocket calculator was readily available by the mid-1970’s. Now we have several hierarchies of calculators; Basic, scientific, graphing, and the full-on computers. (But I’ll do more computer stuff next post) Most of us can get by with the most basic of calculators, we don‘t need anything fancy. Which type do you use?

My current hypothesis says the type of calculator you use is whatever calculator you were comfortable with at the end of High School. By that point the lines are set, our fingers know the keys, and we can’t imagine using anything else. Case in point: I never liked graphing calculators. So, in High School, learned the methods of how to solve the problem using just my scientific calculator. In my mind it was checking my arithmetic, but I was doing “the real math“. Even now, unless I need a complex computer program to complete my work, I turn to my scientific. To be frank, it’s actually the same calculator the school made me buy in 8th grade when I started pre-algebra. But I don’t think that the choice in calculator is only based on the fate of our high school past.

I think elegance is a big factor in an individual’s choice in calculator. First off, you can big a calculator that has larger or smaller buttons, with any color you could want or have your calculator integrated into other things like your office phone or your computer’s accessories file. These are all to do with social elegance and the use of daily items. I want to talk about the choice between the four kinds of calculators more than the aesthetics of a particular one.

I like the use the simplest calculator that is appropriate for the job. I don’t like graphing calculators because I don’t know how to use half the buttons and there is a lot of functionality on a graphing calculator that I will just never use. (like the entire graphing feature) However, I know how to use every button and function on my scientific and I use them all on a regular basis. But an average guy who just needs to check the math on his monthly bill, or determine a restaurant tip will use a basic calculator. Chances are he will reach for his cell phone. (And isn’t that just strange?– you couldn‘t do that 10 years ago!)

I think that despite the level of complication one prefers, we all still appreciate the little machine that took centuries to perfect and to shove into your Blackberry for those just in case, on the fly, calculations.