Slide 6
Abacus

Courtesy: IBM Corporation

However, the most widely used device at the time was the Abacus, developed by the Chinese and used all over the world. Abacus operators became extremely proficient - probably because they had to use mental abilities that are not needed with today's accounting machines.

This fact was displayed in Japan in 1946. An American GI with an electric adding machine and a Japanese accountant with an abacus had a competition. The Abacus was faster in all except multiplication.

Back to history. The need for other aids was becoming apparent.

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