Calculator displays

From: Larry Groebe <lgroebe_at_insidermarketing.com>
Date: Fri May 8 16:05:06 1998

>On Fri, 8 May 1998 Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk wrote:
>
>> The electronic one was interesting mainly for its display. It was
>> fluorescent (greenish digits sealed in a long glass tube), but not
>> 7-segment. Instead, there were (I think) nine segments, all of strange
>> curly shapes, which made up digits much easier to read than the angular,
>> blocky, 7-segment types. But I can no longer remember how these were
>> arranged, nor even any details like the manufacturer of the calculator.
>>
>> Does anyone know of machines with such displays?
>
>Somebody was describing this same calculator to me yesterday. It was the
>Sharp EL-8 and had a 9-segment display.
>
>> At what date were they made?
>
>Weren't these the first microprocessor-based calcs (4004) from around
>1974?
>
The EL-8 was Sharp's original portable calculator from 1971 (in Japan in
late 1970) and cost $345 back then (for your basic 4-function
calculator!) The display is listed in my reference book as a flourescent
-type tube display.

I don't believe it used the 4004 chip - relatively few calculators
actually did use the 4004.

--Larry
Received on Fri May 08 1998 - 16:05:06 BST