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世界初的個人電子計算機【 Casio Mini 】
Casio launched the world's first truly portable personal calculator, the Casio
Mini, on August 1, 1972, priced at 12,800 JPY. Prior to this, most portable
calculators were either bulky or very expensive. However, Casio completely
revolutionized people's perception of calculators by offering a device that
was only one-third of the price of its competitors ( at that time, Sharp's
EL-801 was priced at a whopping 39,000 JPY ), leading to an unprecedented
success for Casio.
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▲The upcoming history-making CASIO-MINI.
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The popularity of Casio Mini caused a significant decline in Sharp's market
share, even though Sharp's calculators might have had superior features and
performance. The president of Sharp at that time was so furious and asked,
"Sharp has 1000 engineers, while Casio only has 100. Why are we losing to
Casio?" Unfortunately, no one could answer that question. Not only Sharp, but
many engineers at that time also believed that 6-digit calculators could not
become mainstream and that 8 or 10-digit calculators would be needed to meet the
public's demands. In fact, Sharp had previously proposed a 6-digit calculator,
but it was rejected by the higher-ups who believed that a 6-digit calculator
wouldn't sell well. This event became an important point of reflection for
Sharp's subsequent product development.
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▲Close-up of the external display screen.
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▲The interior consists of 6 individual independent VFD ( Vacuum
Fluorescent Display ) tubes.
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The idea for Casio Mini originated from the popular bowling alleys among young
people at that time. As there were no machines to calculate scores back then,
everyone had to calculate manually. Initially, the idea was to create a
convenient device for calculating scores. While the mainstream calculators
were 8-digit devices, Casio Mini opted for a 6-digit display ( using an
independent vacuum fluorescent display ) and redesigned the integrated circuits
used in Casio calculators, significantly reducing the cost. Since the
calculator was meant for personal use, it was uncommon for people to calculate
numbers beyond a million, and typically, it was used for handling money, so
the decimal point button was also omitted. Through the scroll display using
arrow keys, Casio Mini could exceed the 6-digit limit and show 12 digits. In
cases of division with decimal points, the arrow keys could scroll and display
the remaining digits. Apart from its functionality, the sleek design and
luxurious appearance of Casio Mini have remained a timeless masterpiece even
more than 50 years later. In October 2008, it was recognized by the
National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan, as one of the significant
historical records of technology ( future technological heritage ).
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▲Casio Mini have remained a timeless masterpiece even more than 50
years later.
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▲Input operation method, image source: Japanese WIKI.
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The 1970s was a period of rapid development in the calculator industry,
making it unpredictable when competitors would release significantly
discounted new products. The development plan for Casio Mini, including its
final price, was kept under strict secrecy until its release. Even the price
field on the final brochure was left blank and only stamped with the price
after the announcement. The palm-sized calculator for just 12,800 JPY! The
media widely promoted this as a mind-blowing price! Casio's low-price
strategy in this wave became known in the industry as the "Casio Mini
Shock," and within just ten months of its release, it achieved one million
units in shipments. Over the next three years, the Casio Mini series reached
an astonishing cumulative sales volume of 6 million units. With the launch
of Casio Mini, the calculator market's prices rapidly dropped, turning
high-end calculators into everyday stationery items that everyone could
afford.
Postscript:
Actually, The article was supposed to be published a month ago, but during
the process of taking pictures and examining it, the calculator
malfunctioned. All digits except 1, 3, 6, and 8 were unable to display
properly. It was working fine when I received it, so I can only blame my bad
luck. However, when the seller learned about the issue, they were willing to
send me a replacement set free of charge. That's why I feel the need to
express my gratitude to this seller.
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▲When I during the process of taking pictures and examining it, the
calculator malfunctioned.
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▲The seller offers free shipping of replacement parts and provides
an additional complimentary calculator.
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