Originally Posted by itstarted
Here's my attempt at putting a fine point on what's happening. As usuual, over simplified:

It was IBM punch cards that started me on this, and was followed by a "race" that I had with the fastest comptometer operator in our office in 1969 or 1970... I had the first Casio Handheld LED calculator. Won by a mile.

I then took over preparing budgets for 187 stores... A project usually handled by 5 girls in the accounting department, and usually taking about two weeks on the old spinning numbers electronic calculators. I completed the project alone, in 7 days using my casio.

Long and short?... Productivity.

Productivity... could work two ways.

#1. Reducing the Work week hours. Pay workers the same.

#2. Maintain work week hours, lay off excess workers, profits go to owners.

Simple.

(Casio at the time... $700 discounted to $499... No Kidding)

Bob,

Clearly remember the days in which you speak. I use to use a comptometer to recap the numbers for rather complex bids.

[Linked Image from i5.ebayimg.com]

Had I a casio at the time...hmmm, if they existed, I'd probably been put out of a job. There were several in my department that did what I did, but I was on the bottom of the seniority list.

Your comments about the Casio...it reminds me of seeing Gerald Ford's wife, Betty, give him a new gadget...a digital watch by Pulsar. At the time they sold for 2500.00. Now, a mere $1.25 on sale dunce

Turn on ANY brand of political machine - and it automatically goes to the "SPIN and LIE CYCLE" wink

Yours Truly - Gregg