DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
CONCEPT COMPACT distributed by Zayre Corp.
Date of introduction: | October 10, 1976 | Display technology: | Fluorescent |
New price: | SRP $29.00 | Display size: | 8 |
Size: | 4.8" x 2.8" x
0.55" 122 x 70 x 14 mm3 |
||
Weight: | 4.1 ounces, 116 grams | Serial No: | |
Batteries: | 2*NiCd coin batteries | Date of manufacture: | year 1976 |
AC-Adapter: | Origin of manufacture: | Taiwan | |
Precision: | 8 | Integrated circuits: | NEC uPD278C |
Memories: | 1 | ||
Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner |
Zayre Corporation was founded in 1956 by Stanley and Sumner Feldberg in Hyannis, Massachusetts as a discount department store chain. Zayre launched already in August 1975 the CONCEPT series of portable electronic calculators with the introduction of their first
CONCEPT 24.
The Zayre CONCEPT Calculator Series culminated in June 1976 with the introduction of the Texas Instruments
CONCEPT I, CONCEPT II, and
CONCEPT III calculators based on the
TI-1200, TI-1250, resp.
SR-16 II but disappeared already in August 1979 with the clearance sales of
this CONCEPT COMPACT calculators.
Once again, like the 2nd and 3rd design of the CONCEPT 24 and the CONCEPT V, we couldn't identify the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) of the calculator. Not counting the wonderful CONCEPT I wins this CONCEPT COMPACT calculator almost every beauty contest. Compare it with the Rockwell 22K introduced a few months earlier.
*** Update March 4, 2011: The Concept Compact calculator was
manufactured by Cal-Comp
Electronics, don't miss the Compex
ST-10. ***
Dismantling
this calculator manufactured mid of 1976 reveals a nice design centered around a
NEC uPD278C single-chip calculator circuit.
Fellow collectors - if you own a Zayre CONCEPT calculator, please report us the serial number and
date code from the back of the calculator
for our Database.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, February 5, 2010. No reprints without written permission.