On Sat, 2 Aug 2008, Vassilis Prevelakis wrote:
  For a more technical description of the mechanism you
can also check:
    The Antikythera Mechanism: a Computer Science Perspective
    by Diomidis Spinellis
 at
 
http://www.dmst.aueb.gr/dds/pubs/jrnl/2008-Computer-Antikythera/html/Spi08d… 
In the news Thursday,  . . .
They've deciphered enough of the inscriptions to find that the
calibrations include the timings of the Greek Olympics.
While not a big deal in itself, it implies that it was NOT entirely a
scientific instrument, that it was also intended for some more social PDA
uses.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jU7fJrgvGExUWTrCXBVupod791KwD928EIB80htt…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7533457.stm
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL06431620080731
Hmmmm.  How long before they figure out that it was used for odds-making
by bookies?
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred                     cisin at 
xenosoft.com