Why ternary computers like Setun didn't become popular despite being cheaper and more reliable than binary computers, and also having important computational advantages? We could have had cheaper computers for everyone.
Edit: The answers to question about binary system do not resolve my question, since Setun, as I understand it, was based on some sort of binary circuit which used 2-bit combinations to represent the three values, the fourth combination wasn't used. Thus an argument about non-binary circuits being non-reliable doesn't apply to Setun.
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2$\begingroup$ Possible duplicate of Why Do Computers Use the Binary Number System (0,1)? $\endgroup$– David RicherbyCommented Feb 20, 2016 at 20:28
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$\begingroup$ I think it is a bit like asking why the cars have 4 wheels instead of 3, 5, 6 and so on. Using computer with any base would be at high level very much the same. If computer used binary instead of ternary circuits - so you have binary emulating ternary operations - looks binary enough to me. $\endgroup$– EvilCommented Feb 20, 2016 at 23:39
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$\begingroup$ But Setun proved to be cheaper and more reliable than it's binary counterparts. $\endgroup$– arctifoxCommented Feb 20, 2016 at 23:48
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$\begingroup$ There were 47 machines produced, in Soviet Union - that on it's own tells the history of being not common. Setun it will be hard to know the truth, but it seems that easy vs west might have something to do with it's popularity. $\endgroup$– EvilCommented Feb 21, 2016 at 0:06
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1$\begingroup$ You might find the following video useful: youtube.com/watch?v=thrx3SBEpL8 $\endgroup$– Denis PankratovCommented Feb 21, 2016 at 0:12
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