An astonishing old calculator - Numberphile
Numberphile1 HN recommender · recommended in 1 month, 2017–2023
explainer · general · evergreen · 2017–2023 on HN
Cliff Stoll shows and explains his two Friden EC-132 electronic calculators for Numberphile. The video covers how these early machines worked, including their unusual acoustic delay line memory.
It is the go-to visual explanation of delay-line memory and early electronic calculators whenever the topic comes up.
Up next
15 mo on HNAT&T Archives: Similiarities of Wave Behavior (Bonus Edition)
AT&T Tech Channel
12 HN recommender · 2014–2026
14 mo on HNMicro Men - 720p (2009)
gimpymoo
15 HN recommender · 2015–2026
11 mo on HNLight Years Ahead | The 1969 Apollo Guidance Computer
TNMoC
11 HN recommender · 2021–2026
12 mo on HNMechanical Computer (All Parts) - Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers
Excelsior10000
13 HN recommender · 2014–2025
12 mo on HNProject Code Rush - The Beginnings of Netscape / Mozilla Documentary
The Documentary Network
13 HN recommender · 2015–2026
11 mo on HNBret Victor The Future of Programming
Joey Reid
12 HN recommender · 2017–2026
11 mo on HNAlan Kay - Normal Considered Harmful
powerfuloutlet
10 HN recommender · 2012–2026
10 mo on HNVCF East: Ken Thompson interviewed by Brian Kernighan
Vintage Computer Federation
11 HN recommender · 2019–2025
11 mo on HNU.S. NAVY BASIC MECHANISMS OF FIRE CONTROL COMPUTERS MECHANICAL COMPUTER INSTRUCTIONAL FILM 27794
PeriscopeFilm
11 HN recommender · 2018–2026
10 mo on HNAlan Kay's tribute to Ted Nelson at "Intertwingled" Festival
TheTedNelson
7 HN recommender · 2016–2025
8 mo on HNThe Mother of All Demos, presented by Douglas Engelbart (1968)
Marcel
8 HN recommender · 2013–2026
8 mo on HNAT&T Archives: The UNIX Operating System
AT&T Tech Channel
10 HN recommender · 2013–2026
3 comments from Hacker News
There is also a fantastic video where Cliff Stoll describes the Friden EC-132 calculator and shows off its acoustic delay line here: ▶ this video
There were a lot of delay–line memories back in the day. It wasn’t just that they didn’t have memory chips; memory chips hadn’t been invented yet. ▶ this video
Cool way to store the bits. I saw the other day a video about an old eletronic calculator that stores itens in memory usinglike a piano wire, and microfones, and small speakers, to make the cord vibrate, and store the value. It was the Friden ec-132 ▶ this video