Accession No

6520


Brief Description

Anita 810 electronic pocket calculator, by Sumlock Anita Ltd. (Rockwell), English, 1973-1975


Origin

England; Uxbridge


Maker

Sumlock Anita Ltd. [division of Rockwell International]


Class

calculating; computer technology


Earliest Date

1973


Latest Date

1975


Inscription Date


Material

plastic (PVC?, perspex); metal (aluminium); paper (paper, card)


Dimensions

[In box:] 160mm x 110mm x 65mm [Power cable:] c. 250mm x 150mm x 80mm


Special Collection


Provenance

Donated by an individual on or before 24/07/2012.


Inscription

[On front of box:] Anita 810
Electronic
Mains & Battery
Pocket Calculator
[In manuscript on side of box:] 8103430


Description Notes

Anita 810 electronic pocket calculator, by Sumlock Anita Ltd. (Rockwell), English, 1973-1975..

Calculator with plastic body and sliding aluminium casing, with 8-digit red LED display behind red perspex screen. Aluminium casing slides up to reveal housing to fit 3 x AA batteries (batteries not present). Two sliding switches on front, one on/off(?), one to switch between mains or battery power.

Basic arithmetic layout with keys 0 through 9, plus: “.”; “c”; “%=”; “÷”; “x”; “+”; “-”; “=”.

Plastic keys are round, light to touch and springy.

In faux-leather (actually plastic) carry case, in card box. With paper instruction manual in multiple languages. With black mains power cable.

NOTE: The calculator originally sat in a fitted polystyrene cradle inside the box. This cradle has been photographed and then disposed of, for conservation reasons.


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:47029

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