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The Handheld Calculator Turns 40

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the great-discoveries-through-spare-time-development dept.

Ian Lamont writes "The handheld calculator turns 40 years old this year, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History has officially added to its collection examples of the first two programmable calculators, the TI-58 and TI-59. The museum already has the original 1967 'Cal-Tech' prototype, which weighs three pounds. At a ceremony at the Smithsonian yesterday, Jerry Merryman, one of the members of the TI team which developed the calculator, said that the project was started without a set budget and was something that 'we did in our spare time.' Antique calculators have a devoted following; news of a contest celebrating the 35th anniversary of the HP-35 slide rule calculator brought hundreds of fans out of the woodwork to reminisce about the pros and cons of various 70s' era calculators. There are a lot of Web resources devoted to these devices, including the Old Calculators Web Museum, where you can see pictures of everything from the Bohn Contex Model 10 Mechanical Calculator ('apparently the design of the machine caught the attention of the Soviets') to TI's first scientific calculator, the SR-20 ('keyboards were prone to bounce even when new')."

9 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. Light by LBt1st · · Score: 5, Funny

    40 years and I still can't find one with a backlight. I can't be the only one who codes in a dimly lit cave.

    1. Re:Light by ddrichardson · · Score: 2, Funny

      The early sinclair ones used bright red LEDs - not only could you use it in the dark you could confuse late night wanders looking for a certain type of "entertainment" if you used it near a window.

      --
      A thistle is a fat salad for an ass's mouth...
  2. I'm sorry...I just can't refrain by beadfulthings · · Score: 4, Funny

    In the early Seventies there was a calculator advertising jingle that was so stupid it has stayed with me for all these years: You can't go wrong with Rockwell, They're really such a treat. They've got BIG GREEN NUMBERS, And little rubber feet.

    --
    "Here's what's happening. You're starting to drive like your Dad..." - Red Green
  3. Re:Slashdot summaries are the worst by onkelonkel · · Score: 3, Funny

    Infidel. in Hell![enter]Burn[enter].

    (Still have my TI-59.)

    --
    None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
  4. Re:Talking to my Parents by scottrocket · · Score: 2, Funny

    And they played music on your AM radio - that's multitasking for you!

  5. Re:And in honour of its birthday by Funkcikle · · Score: 3, Funny

    55318008 is better.

  6. Re:7734 by OECD · · Score: 3, Funny

    5318008

    --
    One man's -1 Flamebait is another man's +5 Funny.
  7. Re:Talking to my Parents by networkBoy · · Score: 3, Funny

    My dad was the first in his office to get an RPN HP calculator (aeronautical engineer). Showed it off to everyone, real proud of it, etc.

    Week later he was back to using a triple slide rule... I had taken apart his precious, at the age of three.
    A month of talking with apps engineers at HP and they sent him a bag of spare parts along with an exploded diagram (for free) and he was able to re-assemble the thing. Still works, and he still has it. I am still not allowed to touch it (nearly 30 years later).

    -nB

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    whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
  8. Re:TI-59 or bust! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    A true geek girl -- so many other teens preferred a bust.