Name me a piece of technology that has withstood the test of time.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Name me a piece of technology that has withstood the test of time. (Page 1 of 3)

Posted: 9/8/2010 5:59:39 AM EDT

I can. I give you the HP 12C financial calculator. First made is 1981 and still in production and in demand.

Financial guys still use these all the time. And I am useless w/o mine.

http://sliderule.mraiow.com/wiki/Hewlett_Packard_HP-12C

The HP-12C financial calculator was introduced in 1981, and is the
only one of the popular Voyager series of calculators to stand the test
of time. Currently there are three major variations of this calculator,
including the HP-12C Platinum and the HP-12C Platinum 25th Anniversary Edition.
The 12C is the only purely RPN calculator still sold by HP; the other
calculators that support RPN also support semialgebraic entry as an
optional setting.

Financial stuff baffles me. How can someone take the wonderful
set of mathematical knowledge we humans derived over the last 4000 years
and make these weird compound interest and sinking fund thingies is
beyond me. I'm sure no good will come of it. Money is the root of all
evil, after all. Anyway, for the times I get confused, there is a nice
little cheat-sheet on the reverse side.

Low-power design permits the calculator to go 6-12 months between
changes of standard, store-bought, button batteries. No more worrying
about replacing that darned custom battery pack!

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:00:05 AM EDT

[#1]

The DC-3

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:00:49 AM EDT

[#2]

A billy club––you can't beat a good piece of hickory. Simple, yet remarkably elegant.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:01:18 AM EDT

[#3]

Flush Toilets.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:01:28 AM EDT

[#4]

The wheel still seems pretty popular.

The .30-06 Springfield is also able to get the job done, despite new-fangled whiz-bangery.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:01:30 AM EDT

[#5]

Forks

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:01:36 AM EDT

[#6]

Zippo lighter.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:01:57 AM EDT

[#7]

The wristwatch?

Everything from manual watches to the Casio G-shock.

They've stood the test of time so well, that many many of them are re-issued or cloned or recreated in some fashion.

I can't really think of anything more significant than timepieces.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:02:08 AM EDT

[#8]

1. M-2 .50 cal.

2. Also, despite numerous prophesies on the contrary, the internal combustion engine.

3. The wheel.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:02:12 AM EDT

[#9]

Revolving cylinder handgun. In production since the mid 1830's and still in demand.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:02:19 AM EDT

[#10]

The bucks computer!!! I joined the Army back in 1989 as a field artillery surveyor and that little calculator right there was standard issue, LOL!

ETA: the pimp hand has stood the test of time.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:02:39 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
... LOVE OF Money is the root of all evil, after all. ..

At least get the quote right.

Tech that is still in use?

Light bulbs..

Steel.

Bows ares still used for hunting 1000's of years after their invention.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:02:41 AM EDT

[#12]

Inclined plane, lever and pulley seem to have staying power.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:02:58 AM EDT

[#13]

Radium Water still cures all that ails you and puts pep in your step!

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:03:01 AM EDT

[#14]

paperclips

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:03:29 AM EDT

[#15]

The wheel still seems pretty popular.

LOL, and hard

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:03:46 AM EDT

[#16]

light bulb. 150 years and not much difference in an incandescent light.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:03:48 AM EDT

[#17]

Hmmmm...

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:04:03 AM EDT

[#18]

the plow.

the invention that allowed civilization.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:04:24 AM EDT

[#19]

The Bicycle

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:04:38 AM EDT

[#20]

.22LR
Mauser bolt action
Kabar
Red Ryder

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:04:58 AM EDT

[#21]

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:05:05 AM EDT

[#22]

Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Introduced: December 1957
Status: In production, in service

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:05:21 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
paperclips

Ahem.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:05:56 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
the plow.

the invention that allowed civilization.

Mr. Plow approves this message.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:06:30 AM EDT

[#25]

-The bow and arrow: the earliest date back 64,000 years
-The knife: probably even older than the bow
-The hammer: the first one was a rock, possibly 500,000 years ago +

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:06:36 AM EDT

[#26]

M1911A1

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:07:02 AM EDT

[#27]

1911

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:07:03 AM EDT

[#28]

1911
B 52

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:07:35 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
the plow.

the invention that allowed civilization.

Which brought us stout girls to pull said plow.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:07:42 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

Quoted:

paperclips

Ahem.

http://www.sowpr.com/catalog/images/binderclip.jpg

WORD!!

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:07:57 AM EDT

[#31]

bicycle chain.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:08:12 AM EDT

[#32]

Chairs.

Dare I say, sliced bread?

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:08:17 AM EDT

[#33]

HP 12C financial calculator?? Can't you use a pencil and paper to do the same thing?

I was gonna say, the wheel.

Also, the slide rule was used to create the SR-71 Blackbird.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:08:31 AM EDT

[#34]

The hammer.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:09:02 AM EDT

[#35]

The shovel and hammer. There are faster and easier things to dig holes and drive nails with but those two will be around forever.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:10:01 AM EDT

[#36]

Toilet Paper

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:11:10 AM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
A billy club––you can't beat a good piece of hickory.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:11:20 AM EDT

[#38]

Leisure suits.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:11:27 AM EDT

[#39]

Technology? The pencil.

Think about it.

Invention? The light bulb.

Imagine the world without artificial light.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:12:47 AM EDT

[#40]

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:15:25 AM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:

HP 12C financial calculator?? Can't you use a pencil and paper to do the same thing?

I was gonna say, the wheel.

Also, the slide rule was used to create the SR-71 Blackbird.

Solving for i is a bitch w/ a pencil and paper.

And I should have been more clear. Originally, I was going to say electronics instead of technology, but I didn't want to the thread to go straight to sex toys.

Still, good examples.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:16:37 AM EDT

[#42]

The fork.
Swiss army knife. 1800 year old Roman version:

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:17:38 AM EDT

[#43]

Scissors

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:17:47 AM EDT

[#44]

Brewing.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:18:00 AM EDT

[#45]

The nail.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:18:11 AM EDT

[#46]

hammer, shovel, knife

the whacker, the digger, the cutter....

all other tools (including the plow) come from these, and they're still in use today

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:18:36 AM EDT

[#47]

I have an HP 12C in my pocket right now!!!

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:18:52 AM EDT

[#48]

Quoted:

The nail.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

The hammer is older. You needed a hammer to make a nail.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:19:21 AM EDT

[#49]

Hookers.

Posted: 9/8/2010 6:19:52 AM EDT

[#50]

Quoted:

hammer, shovel, knife

the whacker, the digger, the cutter....

all other tools (including the plow) come from these, and they're still in use today

Out of all metal implements, the hammer has always been the one tool you could make without using any others.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Name me a piece of technology that has withstood the test of time. (Page 1 of 3)

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