Calculators: used for making mathematical calculations, in particular a small electronic device with a keyboard and a visual display.
In some ways this description is really out dated, obsolete. Calculators come in various forms, but I’m guessing that most reading this have not used a specific “device” in years – you have an app on your phone, possibly one on your desktop or laptop computer. Several years ago I needed a specific type of calculator for a class I was participating in, and the best available option was an app for my iPad (Texas Instruments BA II Plus!).
Calculators have really come a long way. When I was young, the first hand-helds were coming to market. A major change for anyone working in a mathematical industry, my dad was a draftsman: the old pencil and paper type in the 1970’s. Every calculation was done with a slide ruler. But the business he was working for was very progressive, so they offered to buy a TI-30 (Texas Instruments-30): a programable calculator, it would hold 99 lines of commands. My dad was in heaven! He could program specific calculations, and with a single entry extract a series of numbers saving significant time with the slide ruler.
Today, our need for the calculators has not changed, and in fact the calculations have gotten more complex. As an example, when you are creating a financial plan, you might want to know: “if I invest this much today, what will it be worth in ten years, and what if I make additions during that time?” (this is called Future Value) It is still very common to have the updated version of yesterday’s TI-30 in a financial calculator like the BA II Plus, but they are also readily available on our website, so you can answer some of your own questions in preparing for your future. (Check them out)
Let me know if you have any questions – I would be glad to help
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;
Proverbs 27:23 NIV
