Way before calculator apps and even smart phones were a reality, one of the first digital devices to exist was the calculator. Even though it may seem like a simple, uncomplicated device now, back in the day it involved one of the most complicated mechanics to add and subtract a couple of numbers.
Digital calculators soon became all the rage and almost every household in the 90s had at least one digital calculator. Let’s check out the humble beginnings of what we know now as the calculator app.
10 oldest digital calculators
Digital calculators, or calculators in general, might not seem like very complicated devices. But, when they were just being invented, their mechanics were very complex and due to that reason, they were charged very highly. Let’s check out the oldest digital calculators.
6. Handy LE-120
Introduced in: 1970
Developed By: Busicom, Intel, and Mostek
Photo Source: Vintage Calculators
Developed by Busicom, Intel, and Mostek, this electronic calculator completed tasks with the 4004. This is a microprocessor chip used by Busicom for their desktop electronic calculator models.
The interesting bit here is that Intel bought back the 4004 from Busicom so they could use it for other devices as well. When you look at the modern-day Pentium IC, this is the microprocessor chip it uses.
5. Pocketronic
Introduced in: 1967
Developed By: Canon and Texas Instruments
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Canon and Texas Instruments worked together to develop this hand-held calculator.
Canon was impressed by the work done by the Cal-Tech prototype and Texas Instruments’ IC production capability and wanted to build something unique for the masses. Thus came into being the small, hand-holdable calculator called the Pocketronic.
4. QT-8
Introduced in: 1970
Developed By: Sharp
Photo Source: Vintage Calculators
This was the first Large Scale Integration (LSI) calculator to be developed and it was created by Sharp. They used IC chips made by Rockwell. This was an AC-powered, four-function calculator that wowed the audience at an engineering trade show in New York City in 1970.
Even though this was a huge success, Sharp and Rockwell continued to work on models that could be portable and more convenient to use. A later version, QT-8B, came with a rechargeable battery pack to make the calculator portable and thus easier to use.
Discover 15 amazing examples of ancient technology that show how advanced early civilizations were in shaping the world we know today.
3. 9100
Introduced in: 1968
Developed By: Hewlett-Packard
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Hewlett-Packard (HP) released their first fully electronic calculator in 1968. It was a desktop calculator about the size of a large typewriter!
It used a cathode ray tube (CRT) display to function and although it was great for its time, the developers at HP wanted something that would fit inside a shirt pocket. This dream was eventually realised four years later with the invention of the HP-35 in 1972.
Explore the 10 oldest domains on the internet and learn about the early pioneers who shaped the digital world we live in today.
2. Cal-Tech
Introduced in: 1967
Developed By: Texas Instruments
Photo Source: Smith Sonian
This prototype was developed by Texas Instruments. They wanted to develop a model where the electronic requirements would be as less as 4 or 5 ICs and that is when Texas Instruments came up with the Cal-Tech prototype in 1967.
This led the wave in designing smaller and more portable models of calculators that people could carry on the go. This Cal-tech calculator had four functions (+, -, x, /) and came with a thermal paper tape printout.
1. Compet CS-10A
Introduced in: 1970
Developed By: early 1960s
Photo Source: Vintage Calculators
Sharp’s Compet CS-10A and Canon’s Canola 130 are widely regarded as the first truly electronic calculators to be invented. This was a massive step forward from the electro-mechanical calculators that had gained popularity since the early 1960s. However, it was not without its faults.
These calculators were almost 30-60 pounds heavy and were large in size. Although inconvenient in some sense, these calculators ignited a spark in innovators to try and create the same thing but in a much smaller format – something that could fit in one’s pocket, perhaps.
Explore the 8 oldest calculators ever invented and see how these early devices shaped the future of mathematical tools and technology.
Conclusion
Now that we know how much it took for calculators to develop from 60 pound devices to pocket-friendly hand-held devices, I’m sure you have much more appreciation for the innovators who came up with this tool.
Although most had only the basic four functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), it was a great feat for the times in which it was invented.
Now we take all the twenty or so functions in our calculators for granted and the fact that they are digital makes our lives that much easier. But to get there, we had to start from the very beginning, with calculators the size of typewriters!
