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Vanity Fair Galactica Battlestar

Date of introduction:  1979 Display technology:  LED-stick
New price:   Display size:  8
Size:  5.0" x 3.5" x 1.2"
 127 x 88 x 30 mm3
   
Weight:  3.3 ounces, 92 grams Serial No:  C934236
Batteries:  9V  Date of manufacture:  year 1979
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  Hong Kong
Precision:  11 Integrated circuits:  TMS0972
Memories:  1    
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner

It was quite a surprise when we stumbled recently over this Battlestar Galactica and we compared it immediately with the rare WIZ-A-TRON and MATH MAGIC introduced in 1977. At first glance it seems to fit perfectly and would make a nice merchandise to accompany the original (1978) TV series of Battlestar Galactica. Looking closer revealed an additional row of keys but we know already a similar evolution from the Little Professor (1976) and (1978).

Dismantling this Battlestar Galactica manufactured in 1979 in Hong Kong reveals a strange copy of Texas Instruments' design based on a TMS0972 single-chip calculator circuit.

Battlestar Galactica™ is a trademark of Universal City Studios, Inc.

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

© Joerg Woerner, March 6, 2011. No reprints without written permission.