Between the years of 1964 and 1975, hundreds of different models of desktop electronic calculators were designed and manufactured by dozens of manufacturers. The directory presented here is an attempt to capture basic information about the different machines that were available for sale in the United States during that timeframe, plus some interesting later models. Approximately one thousand models of calculators are listed in these tables.
The information presented in the directory was gathered from multiple sources. Some of it is compiled from data in "buyer's guide" tables published in Administrative Management magazine and The Office magazine in issues from 1968 through 1974. Some information is from personal observation of some machines, from information on the Internet, or from advertisements and information in other magazines of the timeframe.
The directory tables are organized alphabetically by manufacturer and sorted by model number. In order to keep the download time manageable, the directory is broken up into several parts, with each section listed below sorted by the first letter of the manufacturer.
The directory is organized with entries as follows:
For entries with a question-mark, it means that either the information is a guess, incomplete, or that there was a conflict between two sources of the data. In some cases the data is a best-guess interpretation of the source data.
Also note that some of these machines may never have been actually offered for sale, and there are likely a number of machines that were built during the same timeframe that aren't listed in the directory.
Still to come is a mini-glossary of terms, especially regarding the different terms used to described the various display types. Most non-printing types are Nixie tube, CRT, or some kind of 7-segment display - either LED, Panaplex, or Vacuum-Fluorescent.
As far as I know every machine listed in the directory is capable of being operated from AC power. There are a few machines listed that could be considered early-model pocket calculators, which have rechargeable batteries, however the main intent was to include machines that were likely normally used on the desktop instead of being hand-held.
The timeframe for most of the calculators in the directory is 1964-1975, although later models may be included and if possible their timeframe will be noted. The vast majority of the machines listed in the table were manufactured sometime in the 1970s.
Please click on a link below to access the portion of the directory you wish to view:
Desktop Calculators - Manufacturers from A through C
Desktop Calculators - Manufacturers from D through M
Desktop Calculators - Manufacturers from N through S
Desktop Calculators - Manufacturers from T through W
Special thanks to Larry Gilbert for providing the issues of Administrative Management magazine and The Office magazine used for compiling portions of the directory.
This set of pages is maintained by Alex Knight in the interest of preserving calculator history. All original material and format of the directory tables are © Copyright 1998 by Alex Knight, all rights reserved, and may not be reprinted or republished in any form without express written permission.