computer vs. calculator

[lar3ryca]

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

If you really think that, try posting to a usenet group with your
calculator.

[Paul Carmichael]

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/10316/difference-between-
computation-and-calculation

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?

A calculator is a specialised computer with limited capability and no
way to change the Operating System. But there's an overlap between the
two sets of gadgets. Some calculators are equipped with a complete
programming language, and they can even access a printer, so they have
IO-capacity. It would take only small changes to make them fullblown
computers.

[Snidely]

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?

A calculator is a specialised computer with limited capability and no
way to change the Operating System. But there's an overlap between the
two sets of gadgets. Some calculators are equipped with a complete
programming language, and they can even access a printer, so they have
IO-capacity. It would take only small changes to make them fullblown
computers.

Indeed, someone has recently shown that you can run Linux on a 4004,
with plenty of opportunity to watch paint dry.

/dps

[lar3ryca]

Post by Snidely

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?

A calculator is a specialised computer with limited capability and no
way to change the Operating System. But there's an overlap between the
two sets of gadgets. Some calculators are equipped with a complete
programming language, and they can even access a printer, so they have
IO-capacity. It would take only small changes to make them fullblown
computers.

Indeed, someone has recently shown that you can run Linux on a 4004,
with plenty of opportunity to watch paint dry.

Indeed!

FWIW, I run Linux on a Raspberry Pi 4. It's faster than a few of my old
laptops.

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Post by lar3ryca
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

That was one of the first one-liner tag lines that I saw on Fidonet. It
had no semicolon which made it more confusing.

[lar3ryca]

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by lar3ryca
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

That was one of the first one-liner tag lines that I saw on Fidonet. It
had no semicolon which made it more confusing.

I may not remember all the interpretations in something I read, but here
are a few:

Time flies like an arrow.

Time files in the same way as an arrow.
'Time flies' appreciate an arrow.
Check the speed of flies as you would an arrow.

[Garrett Wollman]

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

When "computer" was an occupation, performed by humans on paper, it
was very much about performing arithmetic, the function of today's
calculators. However, after the war, "computer" rapidly became a
piece of business equipment, used for tasks that were not, or not
primarily, arithmetical -- like keeping track of inventory, issuing
payrolls, generating statements of account, and so on. While the role
of "scientific computers", performing calculations, was still
important, it was the text-manipulating "business computer" that took
over the primary meaning of "computer".

In countries with a British-derived currency, early business computers
had direct hardware support for monetary calculations in pounds,
shillings, and pence. In countries with decimal currencies, business
computers used a decimal representation for numbers -- their memories
were often specified as so-and-so-many *digits*. Scientific computers
used a binary representation.

The modern calculator evolved from a *different* piece of business
equipment, the adding machine. Originally these were used to sum long
columns of numbers, such as adding up a day's sales to record in a
paper accounting ledger. Electromechanical adding machines were
suppanted by all-electronic four-function desk calculators before
miniaturization made the electronic pocket calculator practical. Many
scientific and engineering computations in this era were still done on
slide rules, or on handheld mechanical devices like the Curta.
Eventually, these electronic calculators became more sophisticated and
the market again bifurcated into "scientific" and "business" models
based on what sorts of functions were built in. (Scientific
calculators can calculate hyperbolic trig functions and their
inverses; business calculators have shortcuts for time-value-of-money
computations and may do internal computations in decimal to avoid
rounding errors inherent in a binary representation.)

[Disclaimer: I wasn't there. Some of the other regulars in this group
were and might know better.]

-GAWollman

[Steve Hayes]

On Mon, 30 Sep 2024 19:07:09 +0200, Marco Moock

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

I believe that the "computer" was originally the person who operated
the machine.

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Post by Steve Hayes
On Mon, 30 Sep 2024 19:07:09 +0200, Marco Moock

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

I believe that the "computer" was originally the person who operated
the machine.

Dictionary com says about "calculator":

1. a person who calculates or computes.

[Snidely]

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

Computers were originally people who calculated numbers; check out the
staff lists of the Manhattan Project and early NASA. Calculators were
a tool computers used. Difference Engines were a dream that reached
beyond calculators.

Certain machines that used electrical or electronic elements and which
could be used to do calculations very fast became known as Electronic
Computers, and when they displaced human computers they took over the
computer term entirely.

Many internet sites document this progression. Eniac, Atlas, etc.
Sperry Rand was a vnedor of calculators that became a vendor of
computers (they were also into avionics). Many of these sources are
cited in the archives of AUE, as the history of computers is a
recurring topic here.

I imagine many human computers became keypunch operators or plugboard
programmers.

My knowledge of ancient machines only goes back as far as PDP-8s, -10s,
and -11s; 1130s and 360s and a couple of collators, and almost some CDC
and Univac machines.

/dps

[Peter Moylan]

Post by Snidely

Hello! Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word
calculator and computer? IIRC they originated from the same
purpose: Have a machine that does mathematical tasks.

Computers were originally people who calculated numbers; check out
the staff lists of the Manhattan Project and early NASA. Calculators
were a tool computers used. Difference Engines were a dream that
reached beyond calculators.
Certain machines that used electrical or electronic elements and
which could be used to do calculations very fast became known as
Electronic Computers, and when they displaced human computers they
took over the computer term entirely.

The factor that made electronic computers more than mere calculators was
their flexibility. Calculators could only do arithmetic.

[occam]

Post by Snidely

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

Computers were originally people who calculated numbers; check out the
staff lists of the Manhattan Project and early NASA.  Calculators were a
tool computers used.  Difference Engines were a dream that reached
beyond calculators.
Certain machines that used electrical or electronic elements and which
could be used to do calculations very fast became known as Electronic
Computers, and when they displaced human computers they took over the
computer term entirely.
Many internet sites document this progression.  Eniac, Atlas, etc. 
Sperry Rand was a vnedor of calculators that became a vendor of
computers  (they were also into avionics).  Many of these sources are
cited in the archives of AUE, as the history of computers is a recurring
topic here.
I imagine many human computers became keypunch operators or plugboard
programmers.

All of the above facts are played out in an entertaining way in the 2016
movie 'Hidden Figures'. Well worth a watch!

[J. J. Lodder]

Post by occam

Post by Snidely

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

Computers were originally people who calculated numbers; check out the
staff lists of the Manhattan Project and early NASA. Calculators were a
tool computers used. Difference Engines were a dream that reached
beyond calculators.
Certain machines that used electrical or electronic elements and which
could be used to do calculations very fast became known as Electronic
Computers, and when they displaced human computers they took over the
computer term entirely.
Many internet sites document this progression. Eniac, Atlas, etc.
Sperry Rand was a vnedor of calculators that became a vendor of
computers (they were also into avionics). Many of these sources are
cited in the archives of AUE, as the history of computers is a recurring
topic here.
I imagine many human computers became keypunch operators or plugboard
programmers.

All of the above facts are played out in an entertaining way in the 2016
movie 'Hidden Figures'. Well worth a watch!

The computer married the printer?

Jan

[J. J. Lodder]

Post by Snidely

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

Computers were originally people who calculated numbers; check out the
staff lists of the Manhattan Project and early NASA. Calculators were
a tool computers used. Difference Engines were a dream that reached
beyond calculators.

The term is much older than that.
Astronomical observatories employed computers.
They were tasked with the very tedious computations involved
in publishing ephemeris tables and nautical almanacs.
They used primarily logarithm tables,
and at best hand-cranked adding machines.
Some were women,

Jan

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by J. J. Lodder

Post by Snidely

Hello!
Can somebody explain the exact difference between the word calculator
and computer?
IIRC they originated from the same purpose: Have a machine that does
mathematical tasks.

Computers were originally people who calculated numbers; check out the
staff lists of the Manhattan Project and early NASA. Calculators were
a tool computers used. Difference Engines were a dream that reached
beyond calculators.

The term is much older than that.
Astronomical observatories employed computers.
They were tasked with the very tedious computations involved
in publishing ephemeris tables and nautical almanacs.
They used primarily logarithm tables,
and at best hand-cranked adding machines.
Some were women,

Those logarithm tables had to be created by 'computers' in the first place.