Here’s a terrific little Casio MQ-10, we presume to of mid ’70s vintage. It offers the traditional calculator features, as well as a timer and chronograph with alarm. This was to be worn as a necklace, so we presume women were the target customer group for this attractive little model.
We’ll continue with the “calc-cessory” theme with this little keychain calculator by Zykkor. What a nice little all-metal model, only slightly larger than a set of car keys.
Very powerful calculator by Sanyo, but not for its computational power…this one’s a world time clock! We’ve got dual time, stopwatch, alarm, six function calculator with memory..so much in such a small package. Perhaps that’s why they engineered the on/off switch on the back. Lithium batteries were a rarity in personal electronics at the time, they provided plenty of power for infrequent replacement and no leaking.
Polaroid attempted this product promotion for its 600 series film back in 1986 or so. There was a matching transistor radio too, and each was bundled in with the film as a freebie. This little wallet calculator is solar-powered and has membrane keys. These things will last forever in the right environment–no significant moving parts, no battery cells to corrode. And the price is right!
The credit-card size CB-700 by Casio is part of the personal finance line. The unit easily fits into a wallet or checkbook and has functions that aid in checkbook calculations. There’s even a little locking mechanism that prevents unwanted views on personal information.
This little card calculator has a most unusual capability: it’s a New York City direction finder! Plug in an address number, and this baby will give you the nearby cross streets, essential for navigation in Manhattan.
This is the Sharp EL-1195, aka the ThinMan. At only 14mm thick, its built-in printer was indeed incredible for its day. Sharp’s early LCD calculators, including the ThinMan were part of the ELSI MATE line.
Sanyo was a leader in innovative products way back when, and this calculator/pedometer dubbed the Marathon is proof of that. This slim calculator is built with a sensor to “count” your strides as you walk. Carry this in your pocket, and with a few simple calculations, you’ll know how far you’ve travelled!
Spiffy Space Invaders variation called “Astro Destroyer” with a Game&Watch sized LCD. This game/calculator was available from Sears and other higher-end retailers for about $50 in 1982. Also equipped with an time functions in a pleather folding case.
What an innovative design! GCE (maker of the the Vectrex video system) had function and style in spades in the early 80s. Sliding cover reveals LCD display and switches the unit from calculator to game mode. Enhanced playability with a mini joystick, and 3 “challenging space games.” Time functions, too. Class right down to the play-on-words chosen for the name: Space-N-Counter. Wow…thanks to Ron Osborne for finding this gem in Ludlow, MA!
