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KF5JRV > TECH 18.10.16 13:37l 38 Lines 2087 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 3803_KF5JRV
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Subj: Aesthetics of Calculation
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Sent: 161018/1132Z 3803@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQ6.0.13
The Aesthetics of Calculation
Pocket electronic calculators were not necessarily bought for their utility
alone. A number of manufacturers focused on making calculators that appealed
to the aesthetic sensibilities of their users. Some were designed to promote
the instrument's value and exclusivity, whilst others, in a manner similar to
certain slide rules and mechanical calculators before them, sought to imitate
other handheld objects to assert their convenience.
One of the most important pocket calculator manufacturers, the UK brand
Sinclair, always paid special attention to the design of its devices. Their
first model, the 'Executive', was marketed in 1972 as the world's first
'slimline' pocket calculator. With a minimal colour scheme and small buttons
designed to feel more solid, the device won a Design Council Award and was
sold in the millions and exported around the globe.
In 1976, Sinclair launched the 'Sovereign' calculator in an attempt to create
a market for 'upscale' calculators during a time when lower chip prices were
leading the market toward decreasing profits. They sold the Sovereign as a
luxury tool resembling a remote control. Though not successful on the
market, Sinclair anticipated a design-centric approach to computing devices
that would subsequently be emphasised by companies like Apple.
Inconspicuous calculation
As calculator chips ceased being a limiting factor in the size of devices,
models were developed to resemble other items that one might find in a purse
or pocket. The Casio Mini-Card MC-34 calculator and metric converter was
designed with miniaturisation in mind, being not much larger than a credit
card.
Sharp developed a calculator that would resemble a vanity mirror,
easily disguised amongst other 'feminine' possessions. Although these devices
did not have the staying power of more powerful scientific and financial
calculators, they represent an important phase during which the look and feel
of a calculator could be its selling point, in a similar manner to the
smartphones we use today.
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