ZX80 - was: SN76477N

[Tony Duell]

> 
> On Nov 10 2005, 20:13, Tony Duell wrote:
> > > So I guess it works.  This thing seems to be made in the same way
> that the
> > > Sinclair LED wristwatch I once had was--CHEAP is the biggest
> consideration.
> >
> > Exactly. And don't care if it works properly, or if it's convenient
> to
> > use. Remember Sinclair once sold a scientific calculator that gave
> you 3
> > accureate significant figures if you were lucky!
> 
> That would be the one that took longer to calculate the sine of an
> angle than it took to open Chambers 6-figure tables and look it up, as

That's the one. A totally useless 2-level stack RPN thing (!).

> I was reminded at our recent Open Day (we had a few such things on
> display along with real computers, micros, and calculators).
> 
> Having said that, I was quite upset when my Sinclair Cambridge Memory
> calculator began to misbehave a couple of years ago, and eventually

Somewhere I haev a Cambridge Univerasl. Same case, 9V battery (with the 
'power bulge' on the battery cover so you can't put it down on the 
table...). It gives random wrong answers, whether that's a fault or by 
design I don't know.

> died altogether.  It was a nicer shape and size than any other simple
> calculator I've owned, great for one-handed operation.  I have an

I find the best machines to use 1-handed are the HP Woodstock series 
(HP2x). The HP21 is very common second-hand, has essentailly the same 
features as the Sinclair Scientific, but they're useable.

Of course I won't even consider a calculator for serious use if it's not 
RPN/RPL.

-tony