Final answer:
The Abacus is an early computing device that uses positional notation based on the powers of 10. Our decimal system and the concept of scientific notation also utilize this base-10 structure to represent large or small numbers efficiently.
Step-by-step explanation:
An early example of a computing device using positional (powers of 10) notation was the Abacus. This ancient tool allows a person to perform calculations by manually moving beads across rods, representing different powers of ten.
The concept of powers-of-ten notation is fundamental to our numbering system, with each place value being ten times greater than the one to its right. This system of counting lends itself to what we now call scientific notation, a method of expressing very large or very small numbers in terms of powers of 10, which is pivotal in mathematics, science, and technology.