Omar Electronic Backgammon Game
date: label: date made
content: ca 1981
name: label: maker
content: Tyrom
notes: label: Description
content: The Ohio firm of Tryom, Inc., introduced this electronic game at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, held in early 1979. It is an electronic version of the game of backgammon, named for the actor and backgammon player Omar Sharif.
label: Description
content: The flat screen keyboard includes twelve keys numbered from 1 to 12, as well as twelve playing keys and an on/off switch. Behind these is an LCD display. Text behind this reads: OMAR. A power jack is on the right side.
label: Description
content: At the top of the back is a compartment for four AA batteries. Below this a sticker gives instructions. It reads toward the bottom: TRYOM INC. (/) Cleveland, Ohio 44122 (/) MADE IN U.S.A. It also reads Serial # 61508 (/) U.S. & Foreign Patents Pending (/) P113 REV.2.
label: Description
content: The mark OMAR indicates that the term is trademarked. According to records of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the firm of Tryom, Inc., applied for trademark protection for the term as used to refer to “equipment for playing a hand-held computerized backgammon game” in November 1980, receiving registration in December 1981. They had first used the term "Omar" in commerce in the summer of 1979.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Lost Angeles Times</I>, November 15, 1979. Ad for Omar 1, not Omar V.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Washington Post</I>, December 5, 1979, p. A10. Omar V, which looks like this object, selling for $69.95. With backgammon set it costs $79.95.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, December 28, 1979, p. E7. Omar 1, with an LED display and a backgammon set included on sale for $49.95. Omar V, with an LCD display, $59.95 all by itself.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Washington Post</I>, February 1, 1980, p. A22. Omar V, which looks like this object, selling for $69.95. With backgammon set it costs $79.95.
label: Description
content: [Advertisment], <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, April 9, 1980, p. G10. Omar 1, with an LED display and a backgammon set included on sale for $49.95. Omar V, with an LCD display, $59.95 all by itself (same advertisement as above).
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Chicago Tribune</I>, December 21, 1980, p. B15. Clearance sale includes an Omar III backgammon game, selling for $59.87, regularly $77.62.
label: Description
content: “Tyrom Introduces Backgammon Player at Consumer Electronics Show,” <I>The Intelligent Machines Journal</I>, February 28, 1979, p. 3. Versions 1, II, and III of Omar mentioned.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Ohio, Cleveland
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: 1986.0988.079
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0988.079
label: accession number
content: 1986.0988
objectType: label: Object Name
content: electronic calculator
label: Other Terms
content: electronic calculator; Handheld
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (case; display cover material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (jack material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (sticker material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3/4 in x 3 in x 6 1/2 in; 1.905 cm x 7.62 cm x 16.51 cm