Single-point thread programming can be fun and easy
Before CNC lathes, single-point threading was a pain in the neck. Fast reflexes were needed to engage an engine lathe's lead-screw dial at precisely the right time and disengage it before crashing into the shoulder. Around the time of the U.S. Bicentennial celebration, tape-operated lathes made all of this headache obsolete. No more fooling with clumsy gearboxes or levers. You simply programmed where you wanted the tool to go and the machine control took care of the rest.