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tkgally 3 hours ago

I don't, but I sometimes see them used here in Japan. Some small-shop operators use them to add up charges and show the total to the customer. I was recently in the office of a small company, and I noticed that the bookkeeper had a calculator next to a pile of paper (receipts?) on her desk. She also had a computer in front of her with a spreadsheet on the screen.

When I moved here forty-three years ago, it was common to see abacuses used in similar situations. There's still an abacus school [1] not far from where I live, but it's been a long time since I saw one in use.

[1] https://maps.app.goo.gl/nvTg4hfSjTcba47c8

JohnFen an hour ago | parent [-]

> There's still an abacus school

(I'm in the US) I remember being taught how to use an abacus when I was in grade school. Not kidding. I'm not so old that they were used anywhere in real life. I believe the whole point was to teach different ways that calculating can be done. A little horizon expansion.