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From: dgl292@athenanet.com (Doug Lee)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Japanese Abacus
Summary: Would you believe I've used it for *HEX* calculations?
Message-ID: <13703@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 27 Aug 90 19:44:08 GMT
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Reply-To: dgl292@athenanet.com (Doug Lee)
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Index Number: 9986

Yes, I've certainly found some unusual uses for an abacus.
Certainly there are the simpler things, like storing phone numbers,
dates, etc.  Then there's the weird stuff, like trying to do base
16 calculations!  I started doing this somewhere around 1984 or
1985, when I plunged straight into 6502 machine code (I didn't have
an assembler!).  It requires a rather "stiff" abacus (my definition
of "stiff" is having beads which hold there places firmly).

For those unfamiliar with hex (base 16):  In addition to the digits
0 through nine, there are digits A through F.  Thus, 10 (base 10)
becomes A (base 16).

To represent the digits above 9, I just set them halfway up.
Needless to say, this technique wasn't meant to be fast--just
faster than my head.  Also, if you really want to do many
calculations this way, you would have to memorize a whole new set
of carry rules and such.  As it is, I usually just store hex
numbers, with the occasional addition where required.

BTW, does anyone know if it's true that the abacus is officially
permitted as an aid during standardized tests like the ACT or
SAT/PSAT?  I was told this and allowed to use it when I took the
ACT.  It's sure faster than paper!  (Now, let's see what they say
if I try to use it while taking the GRE--if I do.)

Doug Lee  (dgl292@athenanet.com or uunet!pallas!dgl292)