Source and Copyright
This page is a reproduction of an article from the August 1979 edition of Which?, a long-established independent UK consumer body's magazine.

The article is reproduced by very kind permission of Which? and remains the copyright of Which? Ltd. and is not to be copied or disseminated in any way beyond this site's internet access without their express permission.

Please note that Which? Ltd. is a completely independent body and the presence of this article on this web site is not to be considered an endorsement of this site. Reproduction is allowed on this site purely for the historical importance of the article, and there are no other links, commercial or otherwise, between Which? Ltd. and the author of Vintage-Technology.info.

You can learn more about this long-established body and their extensive services by going to their web site www.which.co.uk

This review is marvellous!  It covers the tail-end of the light-emitting display calculators and the dominance of LCD models.  It shows that manufacturers were experimenting with new features (such as timers, alarms, character and number storage) in an extremely competitive, but highly slimmed down market.

[Note that the graphical rating symbols used in the article have been changed to numbers: "5" = best, "1" = worst and any of my notes are contained in such brackets]

Calculators

For much the same outlay as a couple of years ago, you can now get calculators which are smaller, slimmer, and cheaper to run.

We last tested basic calculators in December 1976, scientific models in September 1977. Since then, much has changed:

Low power requirements are due to the use of LCDs (liquid crystal displays) rather than LEDs (light emitting diodes) to show up the figures. This has allowed the use of button-type batteries which can fit into a calculator only a few millimetres thick.

Considering the rise in prices of most things, calculators are relatively much cheaper than they were.

The Canon LC-8M, Casio HL-801 and Commodore LC925 took ordinary alkaline-type batteries; all the rest used button cells of various types. We measured the amount of power drawn by each calculator, and worked out how long it should run on one set of batteries. The Casio Minicard LC-79 - which used particularly tiny batteries - lasted for 500 hours; but the results for the others ranged from about 1,000 hours to an extraordinary 50,000 hours- or more than five years of continuous use - for the Casio HL-801.  Calculators rated "5" should last for over 3,000 hours on a set of batteries - though if you don't use your calculator very often, the batteries will probably run down after a few years due to age.  Accidentally leaving a calculator on is not likely to make much difference with these long battery lives, but some calculators automatically switched themselves off if you did not press any keys for 5 to 10 minutes.  Calculators with built-in clocks have to be left on, so we have used a different rating scale for these - those given "2" may need new batteries after about six months, those given "4" should last about 15 months. Frequent use of the alarm will shorten battery life.

The button cells used in most of the calculators cost anywhere between about £1.30 to £2 a set, depending on the type and where you buy them.  Some types may be difficult to find - so, when buying your calculator, check that the shop has spares.  There is no sure way of knowing the state of the batteries when you buy a calculator.  Some came with their batteries disconnected, but the batteries of two of our Decimo calculators did not last out our test.  Instead of the usual two batteries, the Sharp EL-8144 used four and the memo-note calculators three-so replacements would cost more.

All the calculators in the Table had eight-digit LCD displays, and could do simple arithmetic in the order in which it is written.  None had brackets or a built-in system of giving priority to certain operations, as found on some scientific calculators.  In general, the more facilities listed, the more versatile the calculator.

All calculators had a percentage key. but these did not always work in exactly the same way.  If you want to add or subtract a percentage of a number - for instance, adding 15% VAT to a figure of £25 - on most calculators you simply pressed 25 + 15% and got your answer (28.75) immediately.  On others, however, you had to press 25 + 15 %= or, more confusingly, 25 x 15%+. [ED Note: that the latter example is the modern norm]

All calculators except the Casio Card Time ST-24 had a constant facility to save time when repeating calculations.  With most, the first figure keyed in became a constant for multiplying; the second figure became a constant for dividing, adding and subtracting.

All worked in the same way, despite differences in the layout of the keys or controls. They seemed very complicated at first, but - with a bit of practice - became quite convenient to set and operate.  The Canon Palmtronic LC Quartz had its stopwatch control buttons on the side for easier one - handed operation.

The Casio Card Watch M Q-11 and AQ-2000 could do all the things listed above except take lap times, and in addition they had a:

Besides being ordinary calculators with one permanent memory, these two models have large numbers of permanent memories (21 for the Canon and 30 for the Toshiba) for storing alpha-numeric data such as names or telephone numbers. T hey are rather complicated to operate, and require some practice to get the best use out of them.

On both calculators, some of the letters displayed might be hard to recognise at first.  The Canon had letters written on its keys (with numbers and symbols above) so may be more difficult than the Toshiba to use as an ordinary calculator.

The advantage of these electronic note books over paper and pencil is that previously-stored numbers can be brought directly into calculations.  For example, if you wanted to convert 23 inches into millimetres you might spell out IN-MM, press a key and 25.4 would appear. You could then press x23= and get your answer (584.2).

The calculator market is a large one, and changes rapidly.  Use this report as a guide to help narrow the field - see the Table opposite and the verdicts overleaf.

All the calculators in this report have LCD displays and long battery lives. In the shops, you may still come across cheap calculators with LED displays (usually red figures which can be seen in the dark); but they're unlikely to be a bargain, because the batteries work out much more expensive in the long run.

Tryout a calculator before buying, to see if you like the feel of the keys and the layout of the keyboard.  Your choice will be different if you want to carry a calculator with you all the time, or use it mainly at a desk.  Take the calculator out of its case and check that it doesn't rock when laid flat on a hard smooth surface.

Look at the facilities and, particularly, the special features.  There is little point in having features that you will not use - and they may make the calculator more complicated to operate.  A permanent memory may well be useful, but if you have a good watch we doubt whether it is worthwhile paying an extra £10 or so for a calculator with a watch built-in. T he, pocket watch gave way many years ago to the more convenient wristwatch, and you can now get digital watches with stopwatch and alarm features for less than £20.

If you want an alarm, get one that is adequately loud; the larger calculators with time features are no more expensive and are easier to use than the minicards.  You may be fascinated by the calendar features of the Casio Card Watch MQ-11 and AQ-2000.

Finally, think at least twice before buying a memo-note calculator - a diary or address book is much easier to use, and cheaper.

Prices vary- so shop around.