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Texas Instruments TI-3000

Date of introduction:  Sept. 21, 1972 Display technology:  Panaplex II
New price:  $84.95 Display size:  8
Size:  8.4" x 6.2" x 2.5"    
Weight:  1 pound 14 ounces Serial No:  300022691
Batteries:   Date of manufacture:  year 1972
AC-Adapter:  120 V Origin of manufacture:  USA
Precision:  8 Integrated circuits:  TMS0109
Memories:      
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner
    Download manual:   (US: 1.6M Bytes)

The TI-3000 desktop calculator was first announced in April 1972 as Deskmath LP3500. Beginning June 1972 first customers got in the Neiman-Marcus and Sanger-Harris department stores in Dallas, TX their Deskmath LP3000 calculators before the formally introduction on September 21, 1972. Don't miss the transitional TI-3000 Deskmath.

The TI-3000 was introduced together with its sibling TI-3500 and the famous Datamath (TI-2500). With these calculators Texas Instruments started the business of selling calculators under their own brand. Find a reprint of the Press Release about the introduction here.

TI-3000_PCB.jpg (129594 Byte)The displays used in the early desktop models are Panaplex II devices. Produced by Burroughs they are long-life, cold-cathode, glow-discharge display panels. Keep your fingers away, normal voltage is about 150V. With their orange glow they give a perfect readability even in bright ambient situations. The keys give a perfect tactile feedback, a lot of the TI-3000 and TI-3500 are still in daily use.

Read more about Texas Instruments' "Calculator-on-a-Chip".

The second life of the TI-3000 reported is the Exactra 31.

The design of the TI-3000 was heavily influenced by the Canon L100A. Other calculators using the single-chip calculator technology introduced by Texas Instruments were the Canon L100S, Heathkit IC-2008, Radio Shack EC-1000 and Toshiba BC-0802. A different approach with more functionality was introduced with the Corvus 300E.



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If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.

© Joerg Woerner, December 5, 2001. No reprints without written permission.