RE: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] beginner slide rule wanted

["Matthew Ross" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

> > If you do happen to find someone locally selling one of the 20"
> > behemoths for a reasonable price, let me know. While it's not very
> > useful in a practical sense (no graph mode on a slide 
> rule), it is very
> > intimidating in a meeting to use a slipstick to do your 
> calculations.
> 
> Really?  Isn't it slower and less accurate than a handheld 
> calculator?  It
> wouldn't scare me much!

The slide rule is a glorified multiplication table, log table, exponent table, etc. The bulk of the calculations are done in your head, and the only interaction with the slide rule is to get a number when one doesn't readily pop from your head. Someone good with a slide rule (not me) will not only be as fast or faster than a calculator user, but will have much more developed math skills, as the device isn't taking over the fundamental algebraic or arithmetic tasks (unless you choose to use the multiply or divide rule, which would be silly).

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