[Leica] The anatomy of model numbers

[Herbert Kanner]

I’ve been bemused by the description of Leica’s flagship camera as M (type 240) Could it mean that 239 previous designs were considered and found wanting?

This reminds me of a funny way of picking the model number of a computer. In 1952, I saw a computer at George Washington University called the ERA 1101. Over a half-century later, working at the Computer History Museum, I learned that Engineering Research Associates (ERA) had been a group of guys working for the Navy during WWII on hardware to aid in cracking codes and ciphers. incorporate as a company. They were initially given thirteen tasks, the last of which was to build a general-purpose computer with a secret instruction that aided in cryptography. The computer was so successful that they got permission to sell it publicly with the secret instruction removed. Remember, the computer was their thirteenth task. Well, 1101 just thirteen expressed in binary!

Cheers,

Herb

Herbert Kanner
kanner at acm.org
650-326-8204

Question authority and the authorities will question you.