What did people use @ for before email?

Answer 1

It used to be used for accounting and itemisation (on bills and invoices), e.g.:

"12 apples @ $1.00 each"

Answer 2

@ is the 'at' sign. Before its use as part of an e mail address, it was used in math and commerce to indicate something like a unit rate.
Example:
1. What is the cost of two dozen apples @ 27 cents for two apples?
1. Find the interest on $ 2,300.00 @ 2.75% per annum for one year, compounded quarterly.

Some people even now use it as a short form for the word 'at', as it becomes easier to write @ in one movement of the hand instead of writing two different letters 'a' and 't'!

Answer 3

"The at sign (@, read aloud in English as "at") is a typographic symbol most commonly used as an abbreviation in accounting and commercial invoices, in statements such as "7 widgets @ $2 ea. = $14". More recently, the at symbol has become ubiquitous due to its use in email addresses."

Answer 4

Usually for a price, on quantity - 10 @ $1.95 each.
The ''at'' mark.
We also used to have b's and c's in circles, and they were called bats and cats, general printers marks that could be used for a variety of purposes.

Answer 5

good question, i mean what the heck is the point of coming up with a symbol for a two letter word? does the extra .01 seconds you save writing @ instead of "at" make that much difference?

Answer 6

I never thought of that, i have no ideas i just think that it would have been pointless to type it as the abbrev. for AT because buy the time you press the shift key u could have typed the word anyway

Answer 7

I saw it used mostly for pricing at the market: ie: 3@ .29

Answer 8

in email it means 'at'

Answer 9

it still ment @ before email.

Answer 10

The same word it is used for now. It means "at".