Bowmar MX-90 Handheld Electronic Calculator
Bowmar MX-90 Handheld Electronic Calculator
- Description
- The firm of Bowmar/Ali manufactured electronic calculators in the early 1970s. Its first calculators carried out basic arithmetic, with occasional attempts at percentages. In mid-1974, the company introduced what one advertisement called "a brilliant new calculator," the MX-90. It not only offered four arithmetic function keys and a percent key, but reciprocals, square roots, sign change and four memory keys. Behind the keyboard was a ten-digit display.
- The plug for the power supply was at the back. (This example has no power supply.)
- A tag on the back of this example reads in part: Bowmar MX-90 CALCULATOR. Further text toward the bottom of the tag reads: USE ONLY ADAPTER PROVIDED TO RECHARGE BATTERIES AND TO (/) OPERATE ON AC. (/) MODEL No. MX-90 SERIAL NO. 174939 (/) BOWMAR/ALI, INC., ACTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01720 U.S.A.
- The device has a black zippered sleeve, with a loop so that it could be carried from the belt. The front of the sleeve reads: BOWMAR.
- An advertisement in July 1974 issues of the Los Angeles Times indicate that the MX-90 then sold for $89.99. By December 1975, an advertisement in the New York Times lists the model as was on sale for $30. A Chicago Tribune advertisement from December 1975, indicates that the model had an original dealer's price of $58.50 and was on sale for $39.99.
- References:
- Los Angeles Times, July 12, 1974, p. G10.
- New York Times, December 4, 1975, p. 16.
- Chicago Tribune, December 7, 1975, p. 30.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1974-1975
- maker
- Bowmar/Ali
- place made
- United States
- Physical Description
- plastic (case; keys; circuit board; sleeve material)
- metal (circuitry; zipper material)
- Measurements
- overall: 1 1/2 in x 3 in x 5 1/4 in; 3.81 cm x 7.62 cm x 13.335 cm
- ID Number
- 1986.0988.104
- catalog number
- 1986.0988.104
- accession number
- 1986.0988
- Credit Line
- Gift of John B. Priser
- See more items in
- Medicine and Science: Computers
- Handheld Electronic Calculators
- Computers & Business Machines
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
