--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, what we called a computer in 1977…" description: "\"“Well, what we called a computer in 1977 was really a kind of electric abacus, but…” “Oh, now, don’t underestimate the abacus,” said Reg. “In skilled h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/douglas-adams-122_abacus_well-what-we-called-a-computer-in-1977-w_718182.jpg" --- # Well, what we called a computer in 1977 was really a kind… ![“Well, what we called a computer in 1977 was really a kind of electric abacus, but…” “Oh, now, don’t underestimate the abacus,” said Reg. “In skilled hands it’s a very sophisticated calculating device. Furthermore it requires no power, can be made with any materials you have to hand, and never goes…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/douglas-adams-122_abacus_well-what-we-called-a-computer-in-1977-w_718182.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/douglas-adams-122_abacus_well-what-we-called-a-computer-in-1977-w_718182.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/douglas-adams-122_abacus_well-what-we-called-a-computer-in-1977-w_718182.jpg) > ““Well, what we called a computer in 1977 was really a kind of electric abacus, but…” “Oh, now, don’t underestimate the abacus,” said Reg. “In skilled hands it’s a very sophisticated calculating device. Furthermore it requires no power, can be made with any materials you have to hand, and never goes bing in the middle of an important piece of work.” “So an electric one would be particularly pointless,” said Richard. “True enough,” conceded Reg.”” [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the value of simple, low‑tech tools that can be reliable and adaptable when used skillfully, contrasting them with unnecessary high‑tech solutions. **In simple terms:** Simple tools can be powerful when used well. Key Takeaway Embrace low‑tech solutions when appropriate. Themes simplicity resourcefulness technology reliability Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type observational humorous When to use this quote - education - emergency response - DIY projects - resource‑limited environments Key Concepts human ingenuity tool design efficiency Questions to Reflect On - When could a basic tool outperform a complex device? - What are the trade‑offs of low‑tech vs high‑tech? A Different Perspective High‑tech may offer speed but can fail without power or maintenance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abacus/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [So in order to procrastinate finishing my homework I went on cleverbot. . . half of that conversation didn't make sense, it called me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/so-in-order-to-procrastinate-finishing-my-homework-i-went-on/) Author Name > [...dark furrow lines grid the snow, punctuated by orange abacus beads of pumpkins - now the crows own the field...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dark-furrow-lines-grid-the-snow-punctuated-by-orange-abacus-beads-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I didnt have a computer until I was 19 - but I did have an abacus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-koum/i-didnt-have-a-computer-until-i-was-19-but-i-did-have-an-abacus/) [Jan Koum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-koum/) > [We dwell amid pinheaded weasels who know only timid, the generic and the abacus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/we-dwell-amid-pinheaded-weasels-who-know-only-timid-the-generic-and/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [I didn't have a computer until I was 19 - but I did have an abacus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-koum/i-didn-t-have-a-computer-until-i-was-19-but-i-did-have-an-abacus/) [Jan Koum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-koum/) > [The force that makes the winter grow Its feathered hexagons of snow , and drives the bee to match at home Their calculated honeycomb,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/the-force-that-makes-the-winter-grow-its-feathered-hexagons-of-snow/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [I have an abacus at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/i-have-an-abacus-at-home/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [Naturally Shirley had known, as they slid stock words and phrases back and forth between them like beads on an abacus, that Howard must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/naturally-shirley-had-known-as-they-slid-stock-words-and-phrases-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“is an assemblage of organic algorithms shaped by natural selection over millions of years of evolution. 2. Algorithmic calculations are not affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/is-an-assemblage-of-organic-algorithms-shaped-by-natural-selection/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Sociologists are those academic accountants who think that truth can be shaken from an abacus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-prescott/sociologists-are-those-academic-accountants-who-think-that-truth-can/) [Peter S. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-prescott/) > [Here is the door of my mom's house, well-remembered childhood portal. Here is the yard, and a set of wires that runs from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/here-is-the-door-of-my-mom-s-house-well-remembered-childhood-portal/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. 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Had a one night stand with something cute a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-yu/probably-it-goes-without-saying-but-time-machine-guys-don-t-get-a-lot/) [Charles Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-yu/) > [I don't understand why we're all connected wirelessly via a little machine that goes in our pocket, to everybody in the world, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-don-t-understand-why-we-re-all-connected-wirelessly-via-a-little/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) ## More by Douglas Adams > [2,000 years ago one man got nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be if everyone was nice to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/2-000-years-ago-one-man-got-nailed-to-a-tree-for-saying-how-great-it/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [One is never alone with a rubber duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/one-is-never-alone-with-a-rubber-duck/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/this-must-be-thursday-i-never-could-get-the-hang-of-thursdays/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [There are some oddities in the perspective with which we see the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-are-some-oddities-in-the-perspective-with-which-we-see-the-world/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Eight hours West sat a man alone on a beach mourning an inexplicable loss. He could only think of his loss in little packets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/eight-hours-west-sat-a-man-alone-on-a-beach-mourning-an-inexplicable/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“The Universe, the whole infinite Universe. 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"Of course he does. Otherwise, you could not have asked the question, and I could not have answered. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/does-god-know-he-exists-of-course-he-does-otherwise-you-could-not/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“When we told our guide that we didn't want to go to all the tourist places he took us instead to the places where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/when-we-told-our-guide-that-we-didn-t-want-to-go-to-all-the-tourist/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“But Douglas was a genius, because he saw the world differently, and more importantly, he could communicate the world he saw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/but-douglas-was-a-genius-because-he-saw-the-world-differently-and/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“The bits which did mean anything were often so wonderfully buried that no one could ever spot them slipping past in the avalanche of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-bits-which-did-mean-anything-were-often-so-wonderfully-buried/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You come to me for advice, but you can't cope with anything you don't recognize. Hmmm. So we'll have to tell you something you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-come-to-me-for-advice-but-you-can-t-cope-with-anything-you-don-t/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) [Explore all 1,168 Douglas Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## More Abacus quotes > [Here is the door of my mom's house, well-remembered childhood portal. Here is the yard, and a set of wires that runs from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/here-is-the-door-of-my-mom-s-house-well-remembered-childhood-portal/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [Sociologists are those academic accountants who think that truth can be shaken from an abacus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-prescott/sociologists-are-those-academic-accountants-who-think-that-truth-can/) [Peter S. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-prescott/) > [“is an assemblage of organic algorithms shaped by natural selection over millions of years of evolution. 2. Algorithmic calculations are not affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/is-an-assemblage-of-organic-algorithms-shaped-by-natural-selection/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Naturally Shirley had known, as they slid stock words and phrases back and forth between them like beads on an abacus, that Howard must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/naturally-shirley-had-known-as-they-slid-stock-words-and-phrases-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have an abacus at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/i-have-an-abacus-at-home/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [The force that makes the winter grow Its feathered hexagons of snow , and drives the bee to match at home Their calculated honeycomb,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/the-force-that-makes-the-winter-grow-its-feathered-hexagons-of-snow/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [I didn't have a computer until I was 19 - but I did have an abacus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-koum/i-didn-t-have-a-computer-until-i-was-19-but-i-did-have-an-abacus/) [Jan Koum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-koum/) > [We dwell amid pinheaded weasels who know only timid, the generic and the abacus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/we-dwell-amid-pinheaded-weasels-who-know-only-timid-the-generic-and/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [I didnt have a computer until I was 19 - but I did have an abacus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-koum/i-didnt-have-a-computer-until-i-was-19-but-i-did-have-an-abacus/) [Jan Koum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-koum/) > [...dark furrow lines grid the snow, punctuated by orange abacus beads of pumpkins - now the crows own the field...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dark-furrow-lines-grid-the-snow-punctuated-by-orange-abacus-beads-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 11 Abacus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abacus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Well, what we called a computer in 1977 was really a kind of electric abacus, but…” “Oh, now, don’t underestimate the abacus,” said Reg. “In skilled hands it’s a very sophisticated calculating device. 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