DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM
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DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Longines Symphonette Electronic Calculator (Early B Series)
| Date of introduction: | September 1972 | Display technology: | LED-modules |
| New price: | Display size: | 8 | |
| Size: | 5.8" x 3.5" x 1.5" 147 x 88 x 38 mm3 |
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| Weight: | 6.7 ounces, 191 grams | Serial No: | B 4996 |
| Batteries: | 4*NiCd AA | Date of manufacture: | mth 10 year 1972 |
| AC-Adapter: | unknown | Origin of manufacture: | USA |
| Precision: | 8 | Integrated circuits: | TMS0103, 2*SN75491, 2*SN75492 |
| Memories: | Displays: | DIS40, DIS95 | |
| Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner |
This boxy calculator does
at first glance not look like a Texas Instruments
product. Nevertheless
is the proof rather simple, just read the label on the back side of the Electronic
Calculator carefully: Custom manufactured for Longines Symphonette by Texas
Instruments, Dallas, Texas.
With Monsanto introducing the first commercial LED (Light Emitting Diode) display in 1970 and Texas Instruments announcing on September 17, 1971 the "calculator-on-a-chip", Bowmar/Ali Inc. of Acton, Massachusetts, USA launched the famous Bowmar 901B "True-Pocket-Size" calculator based on the TMS0103 with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $240.00.
It took less than one year before Texas Instruments announced the
TI-2500 Datamath calculator in
April 1972 with a SRP of only $149.95, its delivery in June 1972 to first
customers in the Neiman-Marcus and Sanger-Harris department stores in Dallas, TX
and its formally introduction on September 21, 1972. The SRP of the
TI-2500 was reduced to $119.95
by the date of its introduction
Texas
Instruments did not only provide to calculator manufacturers complete "kits"
consisting of the TMS0100 single-chip calculator circuit,
SN75491 and
SN75492 display drivers,
TIL360 Multi-Digit calculator LED displays and
Klixon™ keyboards, they offered contract
design and manufacturing of complete calculators, too. The first three products
manufactured for retailers were:
| • Longines Symphonette EC • Montgomery Ward P800 • Radio Shack EC-100 |
We noticed two different versions of the original Electronic Calculator design, the featured one with mostly black keyboard caps and a later one with mostly white keyboard caps. Don't miss the second version of the Longines Symphonette Electronic Calculator.
Within few month this Electronic Calculator was replaced with a well know design. Don't miss the second generation of the Electronic Calculator based on the Datamath.
Klixon™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, December 5, 2001. No reprints without written permission.