Accession No
4529.222
Brief Description
KK 221B electronic pocket calculator, by Hitachi Ltd., Japanese, 1972 (c)
Origin
Tokyo; Japan
Maker
Hitachi Ltd.
Class
calculating; computer technology
Earliest Date
1972
Latest Date
1972
Inscription Date
Material
plastic
Dimensions
Length 167mm; width 112mm; thickness 37mm
Special Collection
Francis Hookham Collection of Hand Held Electronic Calculators
Provenance
Donated by Francis Hookham in 1987. Donated to Francis Hookham in 22/08/1981 by private individual.
Inscription
[Hitachi logo] “HITACHI
KK 221 B” (front, top right, on screen)
Description Notes
Cream Hitachi KK 221B, with black keys. At front top are an on/off switch, and two switches to control tally enablement and decimal rounding.
8-digit (with a ninth digit for sign, error and memory indication) green fluorescent display.
Panels on rear give power supply details and ‘How to operate’ instructions.
Keys are long-travel, squashy, well-weighted, make a muffled hollow sound upon depression, and stick at the end-point of depression before snapping back up (S Davis 18/7/2007).
d.
References
Events
Description
Pocket Electronic Calculator
The pocket electronic calculator is now familiar to us all. However, these everyday objects were still a novelty in the early 1970s and priced out of the reach of most customers. To our modern eyes, the operation of a calculator is quite simple, at least for basic arithmetic. We just push the buttons and the machine does the hard part for us. Since calculators never make mistakes, we need never worry about what goes on inside.
Behind the buttons and screen lies a complex set of miniature circuits. It is the ability of electronics firms to make smaller and smaller components that has led to the success of the calculator. All the electronic circuits that provide the calculating power can now fit onto tiny ‘chips’ of silicon. By also developing the technology for liquid crystal displays (LCD’s), manufacturers were able to shrink calculators even further. When solar power arrived towards the end of the 1970s they could even be made without batteries. Prices fell whilst popularity soared.
Despite all this technology, successful use of the calculator still relies on the knowledge of the operator. The latest machines pack in countless functions and require a large instruction manual. Their increasing power has led to debates about their proper use in schools. The widespread use of calculators – at school, home and in the office – has been blamed for falling standards of arithmetic.
This is in contrast with the early days of calculator use. During the 1970s, a number of textbooks were published to encourage people to use what was still an unfamiliar instrument. These would give examples of how calculators could help with anything, from income tax forms to the weekly shopping list!
FM:41932
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