Calculators on desktops (was Re: Octal)

[Dave McGuire]

On Sep 2, 2006, at 6:22 PM, Tony Duell wrote:
>>    Lazy and inexperienced.  The math doesn't need to be re-done in 
>> other
>> bases.  Bases are an input/output representation only...and as such,
>
> Many classic handheld claculators use BCD internally (the HP41 
> certainly
> does, for example). And I know of at least one calcuator program (I 
> think
> for a Palm, but as I don't have the device I can't be sure) that
> certainly uses BCD artihmetic.
>
> So 'bases' migth not just be an I/O thing.

   I guess I should've been more specific on my position.  It *should* 
be an I/O thing.  Doing arithmetic in BCD is not something I'd thought 
of...but being inherently tied to decimal, it likely wouldn't be the 
best choice for the underlying computational engine for a calculator 
which is supposed to support multiple bases.

            -Dave

--
Dave McGuire
Cape Coral, FL