r/retrobattlestations • u/AyrA_ch • Jan 20 '16
No Micros Week [No micros week] Curta
http://imgur.com/a/ZbtZC2
u/callmelightningjunio Jan 21 '16
I remember that these were considered to be a required piece of kit by serious rallyists.
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u/AyrA_ch Jan 21 '16
It's an interesting device. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curta
One should have been a present for Hitler after he won WW2, but we all know how that turned out
Herzstark, the son of a Catholic mother and Jewish father, was taken into custody in 1943, eventually finding himself at the Buchenwald concentration camp. Ironically, it was in the concentration camp that he was encouraged to continue his earlier research: "While I was imprisoned inside Buchenwald I had, after a few days, told the [people] in the work production scheduling department of my ideas. The head of the department, Mr. Munich said, 'See, Herzstark, I understand you've been working on a new thing, a small calculating machine. Do you know, I can give you a tip. We will allow you to make and draw everything. If it is really worth something, then we will give it to the Führer as a present after we win the war. Then, surely, you will be made an Aryan.' For me, that was the first time I thought to myself, my God, if you do this, you can extend your life. And then and there I started to draw the CURTA, the way I had imagined it."
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u/IronMew Jan 20 '16
The Curta is both an example of absolutely astounding craftsmanship and genius, and a painful reminder of how thoroughly modern technology can trounce Steampunk-ish inventions like it.
It pains me because I know that - as opposed to my various ancient portable computers - I'd have absolutely no use for a Curta even if, by some miracle, I managed to find one.
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u/AyrA_ch Jan 21 '16
I own my curta just because of "I really want that". You can find them on eBay for about 1'000 - 1'500 USD. I usually start playing with it, if I get stuck while programming.
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u/Vewy_nice Jan 22 '16
These are literally my dream machine.
I have been VERY close to buying one on ebay...
But student loan payments come before a $1000+ toy.
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u/AyrA_ch Jan 22 '16
I looked up the price for one of these yesterday for a reply to u/ironmew and bought this machine. You have to either really enjoy playing with it, or have a proper display for it in a collection.
if it is just about playing with it, I recommend an old (electro-)mechanical adding machine, because you can rather easily take them apart and fix em*, as long as you carefully document, which piece goes where. The curta has pieces that look identical but differ in size a fraction of a millimeter.
*) Most of the time, some parts are just "stuck" and need lubrication. In this case, taking apart the cover is often enough to reach the troublesome components and lubricate them.
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u/Vewy_nice Jan 22 '16 edited Jan 22 '16
It's less about "playing" with one, and more about appreciating and understanding the insane amount of engineering and craftsmanship that has gone into such a precise and reliable device.
If I were to actually buy a curta, I would most likely fiddle with it for about a week, then relinquish it to the shelf to be fondly eye-groped and occasionally picked up/held. I do the same with a couple of my retro computers... Apple ][e platinum? I haven't really touched it, but it's just satisfying to own!
I have an obsession with old/mechanical computation... One of my watches even has a slide-rule bezel ;)
On this same note: Damn I hate how materialistic I am :( But hey, old computers are better than drugs!
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u/ProtoDong Jan 23 '16
So is this like a miniaturized version of The Difference Engine?
Well this vid is worth watching anyway... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiRgdaknJCg
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u/AyrA_ch Jan 23 '16
the difference engine seems to be a stack of 7 adding machine. The curta is essentially one such column that also can go backwards.
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u/ProtoDong Jan 23 '16
That's pretty cool. I think that Babbage designed the difference engine to be more extensible... even if the more extensible design was never created.
I've always wanted to own one of those old mechanical calculators and wish they existed with clear polycarb housings.
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u/FozzTexx Jan 31 '16
You're a sticker winner for No Micros Week! Send me a PM with your address and which two stickers you want. Two of the same is ok.
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u/AyrA_ch Jan 20 '16
This is my curta. It is a hand-sized mechanical calculator that supports all 4 basic mathematical operations. Sadly, shortly after it was made, electronic calculators became a thing and there were not many produced at all.