Volvels - "analog applications" of the past of paper

This is an analog paper Volwell. The fact that the photo - flight laptop (relatively modern Volwell)



Every modern program thanks to its thoughtful (we will be optimistic about things) interface allows a person to quickly obtain the necessary information. In order to obtain data, you need to move your fingertip around the screen, and - voila, the information is already here. You may be surprised, but this idea has not appeared in our time. She is hundreds of years old!



Of course, many dozens, if not hundreds of years ago, there were no screens, especially touch screens. But there were the so-called Volwells, they can be called the ancestors of modern applications. What is volwell? Let's talk about this a little lower, but now let's imagine how the time in the old days was determined without a portable clock mechanism.



Indeed, in the first half of the last millennium it was necessary to work hard even to find out the time. This could be done with the help of an expensive instrument called an astrolabe. Adjusting the device, and knowing the current date, it was possible to find out the time to within a minute. By the way, the modern version of the astrolabe can be put on your phone, and try to work with it.

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Using wheels to work with data is an ancient way. The creators of the Antikythera Mechanism knew him perfectly well. In the Middle Ages, a mechanical clock appeared, which showed the time regardless of the sun, the date or the position of the planets. But all these devices were quite expensive, since metal, leather, wood and, in some cases, precious stones were also needed for their manufacture (these are already elite versions for the powerful).



But there were also "younger" versions of such devices, which were created from paper. They were called Volvells, and began to create them somewhere in the 11th century. In any case, the first mentions of the Volvels appeared precisely in the sources of the 11th century. Initially, these "analog applications" were invested in works on astronomy, on which Arab scientists initially worked. The 11th and 12th centuries can be called golden for Arab culture and science.



In the 13th century, the Volwells began to spread throughout Europe, along with other Arabic ideas and inventions. Systems of this type have been used to work with astronomical data, because working with them is very effective, while saving a lot of time. No need to look in reference books, remember dozens of formulas. We enter one number, we turn Volwell, we receive output data.





15th Century Volvella (Source - British Library )



But the most active spread throughout the world were the Volwells in the 19th century. Interestingly, the majority of the Volwell of that time also served as advertising. They were created by printing houses for the money of manufacturers of products or household goods. Such "applications" could be used for the calculation of the nutritional value of products, as a tool for learning, playing or astrological forecast. It was a kind of native advertising, which we have already written about in our blog.







Of course, not all Volwells were entertaining. There were also very complex systems that allowed getting quick access to technical information. Probably one of the most famous systems of this type is Volwell, which allowed scientists to quickly calculate the consequences of a nuclear explosion. Yes, as we see, modern scientists have actively worked with “paper applications”.





Trigonometer. Already very similar to the design of modern mobile applications, right?



Previously, these paper "applications" could be seen in almost every home and office. Instead of a query in the Google search engine, about 50 years ago, a person simply twisted a paper wheel, trying to find the answer to his question (a trigonometric formula, a caloric content of a certain product, etc.).





And this is the modern Volvell, 2009



Despite the fact that they are created from the paper Volwell, they are quite durable. These “applications” are as effective as mobile applications are. The interface of each such system is thought out and perfected; it is a pleasure to use Volvells. This is a kind of technological miracle, the development of which time is spent a lot.





Need to lose weight fast? Then you should use the appropriate paper "application"



Volvo release until now. There are not so many of them as before, but they are still popular. Like many years ago, they are used for promotional purposes - for example, the Volwells issue some banks. This “analog application” from the bank allows you to calculate the percentage of the deposit, as an example.



Volvells used to be expensive (and the first Volwells were generally sold for gold), because people who created them spent a lot of time and effort. Applications are now much more accessible to all or even free. Whereby? Thanks to the progress, advertising helps this, and Appodeal helps all this.