TC "Pascal invented the first digital calculator to help his father with his work\NL"
TC "collecting taxes. He worked on it for three years between 1642 and 1645.\NL"
TC "The device, called the Pascaline, resembled a mechanical calculator of the\NL"
TC "1940's. This, almost certainly, makes Pascal the second person to invent a\NL"
TC "mechanical calculator for Schickard had manufactured one in 1624. \NL"
TC "\NL"
TC "There were problems faced by Pascal in the design of the calculator which were\NL"
TC "due to the design of the French currency at that time. There were 20 sols in a\NL"
TC "livre and 12 deniers in a sol. The system remained in France until 1799 but in\NL"
TC "Britain a system with similar multiples lasted until 1971. Pascal had to solve\NL"
TC "much harder technical problems to work with this division of the livre into\NL"
TC "240 than he would have had if the division had been 100.\NL"
TC ""