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Why is the Pascaline considered one of the first business machines?
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Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal, oil painting by an anonymous artist, c. 1650; in the Musée Carnavalet–Histoire de Paris, Paris. Pascal laid the foundation for probability theory.
The Pascaline is considered one of the first business machines because it was specifically designed and built by Blaise Pascal to assist his father, who served as a tax administrator, with complex tax computations.123
While earlier calculating devices existed, the Pascaline holds the distinction of being the first calculator or adding machine to be produced in significant quantity and put into actual use. Pascal constructed approximately 50 of these devices over a decade, marking a transition toward the practical application of mechanical calculation in a professional, administrative setting.13