Comments on: My very own digital pepper-mill http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/ the blog that is not dansdata.com Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:19:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: olafcurta http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-3430 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:13:53 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-3430 Search for Curta in Wikipedia and look under External Links for YACS -- Yet Another Curta Simulator. <i>[Or I could just, you know, <a href="http://members.chello.nl/o.veenstra3/vrml/curta_info/curta_demo.html">link to it here</a> :-). -Dan]</i> It is all about a VRML simulator I wrote this year (2008). You need to install a VRML viewer. A link to the correct viewer is present. Once you instll the viewer you can observe the workings of the Curta in 3D. Enjoy! Search for Curta in Wikipedia and look under External Links for YACS -- Yet Another Curta Simulator.
[Or I could just, you know, link to it here :-). -Dan]
It is all about a VRML simulator I wrote this year (2008).
You need to install a VRML viewer.
A link to the correct viewer is present.
Once you instll the viewer you can observe the workings of the Curta in 3D.
Enjoy!

]]> by: Darrell http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1430 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:03:04 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1430 I had never heard of these until I read your post yesterday. I spent much of the day reading about them. Now I am envious of something I didn't even know existed until yesterday. I did find a <a href="http://www.curta.de/kr34/curta_simulator_en.htm" rel="nofollow">neat simulator</a> though, so I can at least pretend that I've used one. I had never heard of these until I read your post yesterday. I spent much of the day reading about them. Now I am envious of something I didn't even know existed until yesterday. I did find a neat simulator though, so I can at least pretend that I've used one.

]]> by: Daniel Rutter http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1429 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 01:21:19 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1429 It's a crummy scan <b>overlaid</b> by black text that fills in the gaps, more or less - sometimes the overlay barely lines up with the scan at all. Look at this bit, for instance: <img src="http://www.dansdata.com/images/blog/curta/oddpdf.jpg" width="492" height="417" alt="Odd PDF"/> The printing there is blue; the overlay is black. Paging around the file in Foxit Reader shows you the scan first, then overlays the black text a moment later; I presume Adobe's reader would behave the same way, since the <a href="http://www.docufarm.com/">DocuFarm</a> <a href="http://www.docufarm.com/view.jsp?url=http://www.leighbureau.com/speakers/CStoll/essays/Calculator.pdf">view of the file</a> looks the same, too. It's a crummy scan overlaid by black text that fills in the gaps, more or less - sometimes the overlay barely lines up with the scan at all.

Look at this bit, for instance:

Odd PDF

The printing there is blue; the overlay is black. Paging around the file in Foxit Reader shows you the scan first, then overlays the black text a moment later; I presume Adobe's reader would behave the same way, since the DocuFarm view of the file looks the same, too.

]]> by: Joe Bloggs http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1428 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:50:11 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1428 The Curta was too grenade-like for its own good in that instance, apparently ;) Dan, what makes you think that pdf was ever OCRed? Looks just like a crummy scan to me through and through. The Curta was too grenade-like for its own good in that instance, apparently ;)

Dan, what makes you think that pdf was ever OCRed? Looks just like a crummy scan to me through and through.

]]> by: Stark http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1427 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 04:19:18 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1427 Ohhh...I haven't thought about a Curta in years! I once was heartbroken over a Curta. When I was a teen (late 80's) I had an elderly neighbour lady with 3 young grandkids (ages of maybe 6-10 at the time) who were around every weekend. One weekend I was out mowing the lawn and noticed the kids were tossing around an odd looking item... which I suddenly realized was a Curta. Just about then the oldest kid yelled "Grenade" and lobbed the poor, doomed, Curta toward his younger brothers... who were standing in the road. Curta's do not respond well to hitting pavement from a height. I just about cried. I did however get a good look at the mangled workings of a Curta - which I had only read about to this point. I went over and spoke to the grandmother and she said it was a piece of junk that had been one of her deceased husbands "toys". Turns out her husband had been an engineer at Lockheed. She assumed the Curta was worthless and was mortified to find out that the Curta was anyhting but junk. As a plus the old lady gave me a box of her husbands old engineering stuff - a few texts and several well worn but obviously beloved slide rules in their cases along with the case and manual for the Curta. I've still got a couple of the slide rules (the other ones have been gifts to friends over the years) but don't know what happend to the Curta manual and case. It may be in my parents garage... if I find the case I'll send it along to you as I have no use for it and would rather see it in a good home than auctioned off for a few bucks! Ohhh...I haven't thought about a Curta in years!

I once was heartbroken over a Curta. When I was a teen (late 80's) I had an elderly neighbour lady with 3 young grandkids (ages of maybe 6-10 at the time) who were around every weekend. One weekend I was out mowing the lawn and noticed the kids were tossing around an odd looking item... which I suddenly realized was a Curta. Just about then the oldest kid yelled "Grenade" and lobbed the poor, doomed, Curta toward his younger brothers... who were standing in the road. Curta's do not respond well to hitting pavement from a height. I just about cried. I did however get a good look at the mangled workings of a Curta - which I had only read about to this point. I went over and spoke to the grandmother and she said it was a piece of junk that had been one of her deceased husbands "toys". Turns out her husband had been an engineer at Lockheed. She assumed the Curta was worthless and was mortified to find out that the Curta was anyhting but junk. As a plus the old lady gave me a box of her husbands old engineering stuff - a few texts and several well worn but obviously beloved slide rules in their cases along with the case and manual for the Curta. I've still got a couple of the slide rules (the other ones have been gifts to friends over the years) but don't know what happend to the Curta manual and case. It may be in my parents garage... if I find the case I'll send it along to you as I have no use for it and would rather see it in a good home than auctioned off for a few bucks!

]]> by: Daniel Rutter http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1426 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 23:22:02 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1426 I took a lot more pictures this time, since this is such a pretty object and worthy of more time than <a href="/2007/09/16/news-flash-something-can-live-in-diet-coke/" rel="nofollow">mouldy Diet Coke</a> :-). I've got an imaging-related post coming up for which I'll use the Curta pics as examples, with wallpaper images. The second picture, by the way, was taken with <a href="http://www.astrosurf.com/buil/fisheye/test.htm" rel="nofollow">my</a> <a href="http://www.pauck.de/marco/photo/stuff/peleng_fisheye/peleng_fisheye.html" rel="nofollow">Peleng</a> <a href="http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/peleng_8_35/index.htm" rel="nofollow">fisheye</a>, using the super-close-focus trick where you unscrew the lens a bit from its mount adapter. The lens was pretty much touching the top of the calculator :-). I took a lot more pictures this time, since this is such a pretty object and worthy of more time than mouldy Diet Coke :-). I've got an imaging-related post coming up for which I'll use the Curta pics as examples, with wallpaper images.

The second picture, by the way, was taken with my Peleng fisheye, using the super-close-focus trick where you unscrew the lens a bit from its mount adapter. The lens was pretty much touching the top of the calculator :-).

]]> by: RichVR http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1425 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 23:17:16 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1425 Just wanted to say that your photos are always excellent. But the shots on this article stand out. Doing anything different this time around? Just wanted to say that your photos are always excellent. But the shots on this article stand out. Doing anything different this time around?

]]> by: Jax184 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1424 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:25:48 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1424 Oh hell, I had just managed to forget about my burning desire to find one of these, and now you've reminded me... If anyone has one in the Vancouver area of Canada and would like to sell it for far less than it's worth, be sure to let me know. Anyway, I thought your readers might like a better idea of how this thing's used. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HYsOi6L_Pw4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HYsOi6L_Pw4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> This video shows the basic operations rather well, and <a href="http://www.vcalc.net/curta_simulator_en.htm">this simulator</a> will let the less fortunate out there to try a few calculations themselves. Oh hell, I had just managed to forget about my burning desire to find one of these, and now you've reminded me...
If anyone has one in the Vancouver area of Canada and would like to sell it for far less than it's worth, be sure to let me know.

Anyway, I thought your readers might like a better idea of how this thing's used.


This video shows the basic operations rather well, and this simulator will let the less fortunate out there to try a few calculations themselves.

]]> by: Mick http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1423 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:07:37 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1423 That brings back memories, as an engineering draftsman in the '70s I used to use a Curta. I remember a rep trying to sell us one of the amazing new electronic calculators and we had a competition to see which was faster. Surprisingly there was not a lot of difference in speed for an experienced Curta operator doing basic calculations. That brings back memories, as an engineering draftsman in the '70s I used to use a Curta. I remember a rep trying to sell us one of the amazing new electronic calculators and we had a competition to see which was faster. Surprisingly there was not a lot of difference in speed for an experienced Curta operator doing basic calculations.

]]> by: Noodles http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1422 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:54:40 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2007/09/27/my-very-own-digital-pepper-mill/#comment-1422 I originally found out about Curta calculators while reading William Gibson's Pattern Recognition (an excellent book by the way) and have ever since wanted one. After talking about them with my father it turns out he had seen them advertised long ago (yes, in a rally magazine of the time) but had never bought one (and of course now wants one too, but the prices are hideous as you know). Excellent score finding one in a junk shop for $40! *envy* I originally found out about Curta calculators while reading William Gibson's Pattern Recognition (an excellent book by the way) and have ever since wanted one. After talking about them with my father it turns out he had seen them advertised long ago (yes, in a rally magazine of the time) but had never bought one (and of course now wants one too, but the prices are hideous as you know). Excellent score finding one in a junk shop for $40! *envy*

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