Sharp PC-1201 Handheld Electronic Calculator
date: label: date made
content: 1977-1978
name: label: maker
content: Sharp Corporation
notes: label: Description
content: This is the first kind of programmable calculator sold by Sharp Corporation. The manufacturer advertised it as a “pocket computer.” The handheld electronic calculator has a metal and plastic case with forty rectangular plastic keys. In addition, there are two slides along the right side, one for setting the type of angular measure to be entered (degrees/radians/grads) and the other relating to entering and running programs.
label: Description
content: The scientific calculator has the keys for digits; arithmetic functions; sign change; logarithmic, exponential, trigonometric, and inverse trigonometric functions; summation; powers; square roots; cube roots; pi; factorials; reciprocals; and squares. A 1977 advertisement boast that it has “24+ preprogrammed scientific functions.” In addition, it was possible to enter programs of up to 128 steps and store up to twelve of them in the memory of the calculator. There was no provision for external storage of the programs or for entering or displaying alphabetic characters. The initial price of $89.95 dropped quickly.
label: Description
content: Behind the keyboard is a green vacuum fluorescent display that shows up to twelve digits of a mantissa and two digits of an exponent (in base ten). A mark above the display reads: SHARP ELSI MATE (/) PC-1201. A mark above this reads: SHARP (/) POCKET COMPUTER. An on/off switch is on the left side and a power jack is along the back edge.
label: Description
content: The battery compartment at the top of the back of the calculator holds two AA batteries. Text below it reads in part: POCKET COMPUTER (/) PC-1201. It also reads in part: SHARP CORPORATION (/) MADE IN JAPAN BM. Below this mark is a silver-colored sticker. A mark below this reads: 75004789.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Washington Post</I>, September 13, 1977, p. A13. Advertised as on sale for $89.95.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, October 28, 1978, p. C6. Special price on PC-1201 is $79.95.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Washington Post</I>, November 11, 1979, p. A10. Closeout sale on a “user programmable pocket computer” made by Sharp that originally sold for $89.95 offers device for $39.35. Looks like this calculator.
label: Description
content: Websites with considerable discussion of this calculator include johnwolff.id.au and rskey.org, both accessed October 30, 2014.
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: 1987.0435.12
label: catalog number
content: 1987.0435.12
label: accession number
content: 1987.0435
objectType: label: Object Name
content: electronic calculator
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (case front material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (case back; keys; circuitry material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (sticker material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 7/8 in x 3 1/4 in x 6 in; 2.2225 cm x 8.255 cm x 15.24 cm