The introduction in late 1970/early 1971 of the Mostek MK6010 "calculator on a chip" integrated circuit combined with the use of 7-segment LEDs made it possible to fit all of the electronics of a calculator into a very small space, so producing the first truly pocket-sized calculator, the Busicom handy LE-120A.
In the Busicom handy LE-80A, and models badged for other companies, featured here everything was squeezed into an even smaller space, partly by using a display reduced to 8 digits and partly by the use of smaller batteries.
Busicom handy LE-80A
Distinctive features: The always innovative Busicom showed just how small a calculator could be made in 1972.
Technical details:
Display is 8 digits red LED.
Four-function.
Integrated circuit - Texas Instruments TMS0105 (here date coded week 47 of 1972).
Batteries - 6v, 4x N cells.
55 x 81 x 21 mm (2.2" x 3.2" x 0.8").
c1972.
Made in Japan by Nippon Calculating Machine Corporation.
This is one of the Busicom "handy" models (the first was the LE-120A) which were the first pocket-sized calculators.
This model achieves an incredibly tiny size for this year by using a Texas Instruments plastic packaged "calculator on a chip", an 8-digit display, and small size N batteries.
Privileg MICRO COMPUTER
Distinctive features: Version of the Busicom handy LE-80A badged for sale by the German mail-order company Quelle under their trademark "Privileg".
The U.S. company National Cash Register also sold this model badged as the NCR 18-43.
Text & photographs copyright, except where stated otherwise, © Nigel Tout 2000-2025.
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