Bowmar/ALI Inc., Acton, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Bowmar was a small company specialising in high technology components for the space programmes and produced a hand-held calculator as a demonstration device for its LED displays. So good was the reception to the calculator that in 1971 it moved into large-scale calculator production.
Bowmar became one of the major manufacturers, making calculators for other companies and also selling under its own name. A report from 1974 on the calculator industry says that Bowmar is probably the largest manufacturer of hand-held calculators in the world[1] and during 1971 and 1972 was Texas Intruments' largest customer for LSI calculator integrated circuits. Bowmar's total sales increased from $3m in 1971 to $64m in 1973, largely as a result of its entry into calculators.
With the dramatic fall in calculator prices in the mid-1970s, Bowmar decided that it needed to manufacture its own integrated circuits to remain competitive and in 1974 invested in a semiconductor plant. However, prices continued to plummet and Bowmar had to file for bankruptcy protection early in 1975.
See the article "Pioneering Calculator Companies: Bowmar" on this site.
Examples of Bowmar calculators
For further photographs of Bowmar calculators see the Calculator Photo Library on this site.
References:
Text & photographs copyright, except where stated otherwise, © Nigel Tout 2000-2025.
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