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This page has links to photographs of early LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) pocket calculators, that is those manufactured up to about 1980. The technical development of calculators slowed
down around this time and so after 1980 they are of less interest and are not featured on this page.
LCD displays are explained further in the Calculator Displays section. In general the order of development was:
- Reflective LCD: silver numbers on dark background, from Rockwell (1972).
- Reflective "COS" (Crystal on Substrate) LCD: reflective LCD silver numbers on dark background, from Sharp (1973).
- Yellow LCD: black numbers on a yellow background, has yellow filter in front of the display to protect the LCD from harmful UV light (mid- to late-1970s).
- Grey LCD: black numbers on a grey background (mid-1970s onwards).
Click on a calculator to see a photograph of it, then click on your browser "Back" button to return to this page.
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Adler (German company, was a division of Litton Industries)
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Adler LS822 (yellow LCD)
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Baron (We have no details about this company, if you have any information please get in touch)
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Baron LCD Calculator (yellow LCD), 4-function, %, memory, sq. rt., change sign, 2-button cells, 114x62x10mm / 4.5x2.4x0.4", Japan.
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Boots (British chain store - a featured British company)
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Boots 527 (grey LCD), scientific functions. Featured British calculator.
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Busicom (these LCD calculators under the Busicom name were probably sourced by the British company Broughtons of Bristol, which acquired the rights to the name after Busicom went out of business)
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Busicom LCD119 (yellow LCD), 4-function, %, memory, square root, 2-AA rep. batt., 86x136x28mm / 3.4x5.4x1.1".
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Casio
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Casio BQ-1100 "Biolator & Watch" (grey LCD), also capable of calculating the body's biorhythms (see the Kosmos I for an early biorhythm calculator) , 113x62x6mm / 4.4x2.4x0.25".
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Casio College fx-80 (yellow LCD).
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Casio fx-58 (grey LCD), scientific functions and clock/stopwatch, credit card sized, late 1970s.
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Casio MG-880 (grey LCD), game and melody calculator. Has a rudimentary game and you can play tunes on it - manufacturers were starting to add other features to boost sales, 113x68x7mm / 4.4x2.7x0.3".
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Casio micro-mini (yellow LCD), in fitted case, tiny but thick calculator, 43x62x14mm / 1.7x2.4x0.6", was also
available with a grey LCD, see below.
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Casio micro-mini (M800) (grey LCD), in fitted case, tiny but thick calculator, 43x62x14mm / 1.7x2.4x0.6", was
also available with a yellow LCD.
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Casio Mini Card LC-78 (yellow LCD), the first credit card sized calculator. Featured calculator
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Casio Mini Card LC-78G (yellow LCD), looks identical to the LC-78. Featured calculator.
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Casio MQ-2 (yellow LCD), tiny calculator with clock. Details.
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Casio pocket LCII, 4-function, %, memory, 8 digits yellow LCD, 1-AA rep. batt., 111x63x16mm / 4.4x2.5x0.6", Japan.
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Commodore (CBM - Commodore Business Machines - Canadian/U.S.A. company. See the Calculator Companies section for more information.)
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Commodore CIL55PD (yellow LCD), 10 digits, 4-function, %, memory, square root, 4-AA rep. batt., 114x238x40mm / 4.5x9.4x1.6", Japan.
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Commodore CIL-80 (grey LCD), 8 digits, 4-function, %, memory, 2- button cells, 92x60x5mm / 3.8x2.4x0.2", Japan.
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Commodore LC43SR, photo2 (yellow LCD).
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Commodore LC4512 (yellow LCD), scientific, 2-AA rep. batt., 78x160x23mm / 3.1x6.3x0.9", Japan.
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Commodore LC5K3 (yellow LCD), inside, 4-function, %, memory, square root, 2x button cells, c1978, Japan. Jan 12.
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Commodore LC925 (yellow LCD), 4-function, %, memory, square root, 2-AA rep. batt., 75x139x30 mm / 3.0x5.5x1.2", Hong Kong, similar to vfd display model 9R25.
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Dataking
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Dataking LC800 (reflective LCD) model made by Rockwell, unusually powered by two PP3 9v batteries (1973-74).
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Elektronika (made in U.S.S.R.)
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Elektronika B3-30 (yellow LCD), 4-function, quare root, 70x109x10mm / 2.75x4.3x0.4", 2-button cells, looks similar to Sharp EL-8020.
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Enterprex
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Enterprex MS-1500 (yellow LCD), 4-function, %, memory, 2-silver oxide cells, Taiwan. Sep 11.
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Mathix
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Mathix 1502 (yellow LCD), 4-function, %, memory, sq. rt., change sign, 116x67x9mm / 4.6x2.6x0.4".
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Ragen
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Ragen Microelectronic Calculator. Early low-cost, LCD calculator, probably never went on sale - announced early 1972. Featured calculator.
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Royal (Royal Typewriter Company. U.S. company, distributed in Britain by Imperial Typewriter Company, both Litton Industries companies)
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Royal MemoCalc (yellow LCD) - unusual mini-cassette recorder/calculator.
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Royal Solar 1 (yellow LCD), very early solar-powered model.
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Sears
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Sears LC-80 (grey LCD), 4-function, %, Hong Kong. Sep 11.
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Sharp (Japanese company - One of the most innovative calculator manufacturers with many firsts to its name. Its first LCD models used its COS (Crystal on Substrate technology). For more information about Sharp see the Calculator Companies section.)
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Sharp EL-805 (reflective COS LCD), the first pocket-sized LCD calculator, 1973.
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Sharp EL-808 (reflective LCD). Featured calculator.
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Sharp EL-825 (grey LCD), early solar-powered, LCD, credit card size calculator, ~1981. Featured calculator
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Sharp EL-826 (grey LCD), early solar-powered, LCD almost credit card size calculator, ~1980. Featured calculator
. May 11.
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Sharp EL-863 (grey LCD), early solar LCD credit card calculator.
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Sharp EL-8001 (reflective LCD). Featured calculator.
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Sharp EL-8008, photo of display (reflective LCD). Featured calculator
. Jun 11.
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Sharp EL-8009 & EL-8019 (reflective LCD & yellow LCD), clam-shell cases. Featured calculators
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Sharp EL-8009S (reflective LCD), clam-shell case. Featured calculator.
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Sharp EL-8010, rear with batteries (reflective LCD). Featured calculator
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Sharp EL-8015 (reflective LCD). Featured calculator.
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Sharp EL-8026 (grey LCD), the first calculator with solar cells, on the back! for recharging the batteries. Featured calculator.
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Sharp EL-8110 (reflective COS LCD). Featured calculator.
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Sharp EL-8125 (grey LCD), 4-function, %, memory, sq. rt., 8 digits grey LCD, 3-button cells, 110x66x5mm / 4.3x2.6x0.2", Japan.
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Sharp PC-1211 (yellow LCD), one of the world's first pocket computers, programmable in Basic, 1980.
Featured calculator.
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Silver Reed
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Silver Reed LCD-21, 4-function, %, memory, sq. rt., 8 digits yellow LCD, 2-button cells, 105x61x8mm / 4.1x2.4x0.3".
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Teal (Tokyo Electronic Application Laboratory Ltd., Japan, and Teal Industries Inc., Carlson, California, U.S.A. For more information see the Calculator Companies section of this site.)
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Teal LC-842 (yellow LCD).
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Teal Photon (yellow LCD), one of the first solar powered calculators. Featured calculator.
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Timex
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Timex Timemate (yellow LCD) calculator and alarm clock. Details.
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