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Sharp EL-8010

Date of introduction:  April 1975 Display technology:  COS-LCD
New price:  $39.95, ¥9.900 Display size:  8
Size:  5.1" x 3.0" x 0.45"    
Weight:  3.3 ounces Serial No:  
Batteries:  2*SR44 Date of manufacture:  
AC-Adapter:  EA-10B Origin of manufacture:  Japan
Precision:  8 Integrated circuits:  Toshiba T3287
Memories:      
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner

It was on May 15, 1973 that Sharp released the EL-805 LCD calculator, starting a revolution in electronics. Until then, calculators used fluorescent character display tubes or light-emitting diodes. Using LCD for the number display meant that power consumption was cut dramatically - to a mere 1/100th of previous calculators. This astonishing leap in energy efficiency gave users 100 hours on one AA battery. Sharp's unique silver-coloured COS-LCD display was three years later replaced with the EL-8020 by the common yellow-screen FEM-type display. 

EL-8010_1.jpg (65065 Byte)The EL-8010 was together with the EL-8010S, EL-8015 and EL-8110 one of the last calculators using the silver-coloured COS-LCD display.

The first LCD calculator sold by Texas Instruments could be found in the TI-1750.

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

© Joerg Woerner, January 21, 2002. No reprints without written permission.