Sharp EL-8028 Handheld Electronic Calculator
date: label: date made
content: 1977
name: label: maker
content: Sharp Corporation
notes: label: Description
content: In 1977, an advertisement in a Chicago newspaper introducing this calculator claimed that it offered “International elegance. Out of this world intelligence.” The advertisement described two Sharp calculators using liquid crystal displays. These required much less power than other forms of display, making it possible to build smaller, more stylish instruments.
label: Description
content: The thin handheld electronic calculator has silver-colored metal case and an array of twenty rounded rectangular plastic keys. These include ten digit keys, a decimal point key, a % key, four arithmetic function keys, an on/clear key, a clear entry key, a square root key, and a total key. Behind the keyboard is an eight-digit LCD display. The on/off switch is below the display at the left. Text right of this reads: SHARP (/) ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR. Text below the keyboard reads: SHARP ELSI MATE (/) EL-8028.
label: Description
content: The back of the calculator has a compartment for two squat cylindrical silver oxide batteries at the base. Text above this reads: ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR (/) EL-8028. It also reads: SHARP CORPORATION (/) MADE IN JAPAN BM. The text also reads: NO. 71109296. The most recent U.S. patent listed has number 3976994. This patent, for an LCD display, was issued in 1976 and assigned to Sharp.
label: Description
content: The brown leatherette case holds the calculator and a paper manual for it. Text on the outside of the wallet reads: SHARP (/) ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Chicago Tribune</I>, June 22, 1977, p. B6. This model calculator selling for $19.95. A closely related model, the EL-8128, had five memory keys and sold for $24.95.
label: Description
content: [Advertisement], <I>Washington Post</I>, October 21, 1977, p. C8. This calculator was on sale for $15.99. The EL-8128 was on sale for $19.95.
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
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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: 1986.0988.318
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0988.318
label: accession number
content: 1986.0988
objectType: label: Object Name
content: electronic calculator
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (keys; wallet material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (case material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (display material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (documentation material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1/4 in x 2 7/8 in x 4 1/2 in; .6096 cm x 7.3025 cm x 11.43 cm