Curta(en.wikipedia.org)

en.wikipedia.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curta

12 comments

rektide3 lata temu

Mandatory shout-out to Gibson's Pattern Recognition, where the main character Cayce Pollard gets involved with a miserable failing recluse intelligence agent who is obsessed with these mechanical calculators & the Curta specifically.

Thankfully there is a writeup available, for jogging of memories or hearing about it, https://www.google.com/amp/s/blue-ant.tumblr.com/post/315663...

t3122273 lata temu

hello,

i happen to own one of these, so i collected a few imho. useful links:

* https://curta.li/00_main/index.html

german manual

* https://curta.li/05_anleitungen/index.php

series

# https://curta.li/pict/pdf/Curta_Calculating_Techniques.pdf

# https://curta.li/pict/pdf/cct_curta_calculating_techniques.p...

articles

* https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/12/the-remarkable-histo...

cheers

flappyeagle3 lata temu

I count the passing of time by how many times this makes it to HN front page. I think this is the 5th time I’ve seen it here

majewsky3 lata temu

13 years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1045002

11 years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3062925

8 years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8873306

8 years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9903984

7 years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10726059 (not Wikipedia)

5 years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16035091 (also not Wikipedia)

2 months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34093268

Several more submissions that probably did not hit the frontpage: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

dang3 lata temu

Thanks! Macroexpanded:

The hand-cranked Curta mechanical calculator (2021) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34093268 - Dec 2022 (14 comments)

3Hz Computer, Hold the Transistors - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32352902 - Aug 2022 (39 comments)

Curt Herzstark and His Pocket Calculator CURTA - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20443592 - July 2019 (1 comment)

ReCurta: Our goal is to build the first Curta calculator since 1972 - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16035091 - Dec 2017 (26 comments)

3D Printed Curta Part VIII - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11686593 - May 2016 (2 comments)

The Curta Mechanical Calculator - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10726059 - Dec 2015 (7 comments)

Curta: a mechanical calculator - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9903984 - July 2015 (6 comments)

Curta mechanical calculator - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8873306 - Jan 2015 (14 comments)

Curta calculator - hand-held, mechanical arithmetic - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3062925 - Oct 2011 (16 comments)

Curta calculator - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1045002 - Jan 2010 (17 comments)

There's also http://curtamania.com/curta/code/home.html, a site which has appeared on HN a few times but not for its Curta material.

amelius3 lata temu

Wake me up when there is a 3d-printable version.

wgrover3 lata temu

https://www.simplify3d.com/3d-printing-the-curta-calculator-...

And a fun video of Adam Savage playing with Marcus Wu's 3D-printed Curta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9uRckJLqLk

spicybright3 lata temu

I know two people IRL that have both made (or at least started) a 3d printed version.

You have to make it super size because the precision needed is crazy.

holistio3 lata temu

This is one of my favourite objects ever.

I have a certain admiration for really well crafted mechanical objects.

Does anyone know of a compilation of such gear? I'd love to discover new stuff of this level of care and mechanical knowledge.

sotp3 lata temu

There's gotta be a special place in hell for people that try to force a Holocaust survivor out of the company they founded that manufactured a product they invented.. It never ceases to astound me how despicable people can be

convolvatron3 lata temu

you’re mistaken. greed is the highest virtue

matbatt383 lata temu

Can't tell if this is irony lol