Sharp EL-8145 Handheld Electronic Calculator
date: label: date made
content: 1978-1980
name: label: maker
content: Sharp Corporation
notes: label: Description
content: In the second half of the 1970s, taking advantage of the introduction of liquid crystal displays, manufacturers of handheld electronic calculators designed and built ever-thinner products. In this Sharp calculator the usual keys have been replaced by a single thin membrane. This reduces the thickness of the calculator itself to about .3 cm (about 1/8”). Pushing numbers on such a calculator produces no tactile sensation. To give users a sense that they indeed had entered information, the calculator could be set so that a tone sounded whenever a digit or function was entered. Pushing the section of the membrane with a musical note on it (called the sensor key) activated this part of the calculator.
label: Description
content: The credit card-sized calculator has a total of twenty-six “keys.” To the left are ten digit keys, a decimal point key, a % key, four arithmetic function keys, three memory keys, and a total key. Right of these are an off key, an on/clear key, a sensor key, a clear entry key, a STR key for storing a number in the memory, and a COMP key for computing conversions by multiplying the stored value by the value in the display. These last two keys are labeled: STORAGE COMPUTER.
label: Description
content: Behind the key membrane on the left side is the eight-digit LCD display. Text next to it reads: SHARP EL-8145.
label: Description
content: Text on the back of the calculator reads: SHARP (/) ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR U.S. Pats. 390169 & 3976994 (/) EL-8145 No. (/) 86408458. It also reads: SHARP CORPORATION MADE IN JAPAN. The most recent U.S. patent number listed, 3976994, was issued in 1976 and assigned to Sharp.
label: Description
content: The calculator ran on two squat cylindrical silver oxide batteries.
label: Description
content: The instrument fits into a black plastic wallet. A mark on the front of the wallet reads: SHARP (/) ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR. The wallet, in turn, fits into a blue cardboard box. One price tag on the box reads: FRED MEYER (/) $29.95. Another reads: FRED MEYER SALE (/) $19.99.
label: Description
content: Sharp membrane calculators in the collections include 1997.0032.01 (Sharp EL-8152 or EL-8152A), 1987.0435.13 (Sharp EL-8130A) and 1986.0988.316 (Sharp EL-8145).
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Washington Post</I>, September 1, 1978. p. C5. “Credit card calculator” advertised as on sale for $34.95.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Chicago Tribune</I>, November 12, 1978, p. N4. Price given is $32.95. Comparable (less expensive) credit card-sized calculators mentioned in the ad are the National Semiconductor NS 102 and the Casio LC-78.
label: Description
content: [Advertisemnt], <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, October 20, 1979, p. D7. Price for calculator listed as $25.95.
label: Description
content: [Advertisemnt], <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, February 17, 1980, p. C9. Price of calculator listed as $28.88.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Japan
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
label: See more items in
content: Computers & Business Machines
label: See more items in
content: Handheld Electronic Calculators
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of John B. Priser
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1986.0988.316
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0988.316
label: accession number
content: 1986.0988
objectType: label: Object Name
content: electronic calculator
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (carrying case material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (case material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (display material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (box; stickers material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1/8 in x 3 3/8 in x 2 1/8 in; .3175 cm x 8.5725 cm x 5.3975 cm