Calculating Things (1)

Calculating cilinders A lot of different and sometimes company-dedicated cilinders were in use in the 60s. It is a slide rule variation on which 2, 3 of 4 rings can be turned to calculate weights, currency, dates, conversions, lengths and simple calculations as on a sliderule. In the middle: the Universal Circle Metric Converter and to the right: the Universal Circle Slide rule of Control Data.

Circuit from an old computer Given to me in 1962 by a  retired  IBM Engineer  this electronic circuit is probably from an old (1st. gen.) IBM 604 computer. The vacuum tubes served as diodes and are from different vendors: General Electric, Telefunken, AEG, IBM, etc.  After WO II these vulnerable and low-performance computers with small memories were sold or hired out by IBM for much money along with punchcard readers and collators (sorters). Intense heat from the tubes  often caused  more down time than up time.

Core memory from an old computer   Random Access Memory (RAM) as used in older digital computers. The memory consists of specially wired tiny rings. Each ring can be addressed and magnetized in one of both directions to represent a one or a zero. This core constist of 256 rings; the equivalent of 256 bytes or characters. Frederick Viehe claimed the first patent of the magnetic core memory in 1947.

Calculator for Blind People   This Texas Instruments (TI-30) electronic calculator has been modified for blind and visually handicapped persons. The machine is called 'Braillotron' by the manufacturer: Schönherr in Stuttgart, Germany. On top of the calculator the braille line for tactile feedback. Right below a push button to reset: pull back all braille-pins.

Mysterious counting device   Four pieces of old tropical hardwood with holes and numbered 1 to 10 and 100 to 1000. Obviously an ancient counting or memory device because of a big peg and a small one which can be put into the holes.

Elsi Mate EL-120 Early Sharp pocket calculator for simple calculations. To the left below a push button for counting.

Sharp Elsi 160 One of the first Japanese table or desktop electronic calculators with a vulnerable display of filament digits (later green LED). The price in the early 70s was around 500 dollar. For about 250 dollar a matrixprinter could be attached to the machine. Thanks to its internal memory rather complex calculations could be performed. For many managers and executives this table 'computer' was no less than a status symbol.

This is the ELSI-8 … The world's smallest electronic calculating automaton! Introduction advertisement that brought Sharp's first pocket calculator to the Dutch market. The calculator (now a valuable collector's item) showed its results in a vulnerable filament display of eight digits. It performed addition, subtraction, multiplication and division only. It was advertised as 'light weight': 775 grams and it cost 'only' 1477 Dutch guilders (672 Euro). The machine was operational during three hours on its battery. A few days after its introdution it was sold out.