DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM
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DATAMATH CALCULATOR MUSEUM |
Bowmar 901B
| Date of introduction: | September 1971 | Display technology: | LED-stick |
| New price: | $240 | Display size: | 8 |
| Size: | 5.2" x 3.1" x
1.5" 133 x 78 x 37 mm3 |
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| Weight: | 10.9 ounces, 310 grams | Serial No: | 28445 |
| Batteries: | 6*AA NiCd | Date of manufacture: | mth 02 year 1972 |
| AC-Adapter: | 7.2V 225mA DC, 7.0V 45mA AC | Origin of manufacture: | USA |
| Precision: | 8 | Integrated circuits: | TMS0103, 2*SN75491, 2*SN75492 |
| Memories: | Displays: | Bowmar Optostic | |
| Program steps: | Courtesy of: | Joerg Woerner | |
| Download manual: | 
(US: 2.3M Bytes) |
With
Monsanto introducing the first
commercial LED (Light Emitting Diode) display in 1970 and Texas
Instruments announcing on September 17, 1971 the "calculator-on-a-chip", Bowmar/Ali Inc. of Acton, Massachusetts, USA launched the famous 901B "True-Pocket-Size" calculator based on
the
TMS0103 with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $240.00.
It took less than one year before Texas Instruments announced the
TI-2500 Datamath calculator in
April 1972 with a SRP of only $149.95, its delivery in June 1972 to first
customers in the Neiman-Marcus and Sanger-Harris department stores in Dallas, TX
and its formally introduction on September 21, 1972. The SRP of the
TI-2500 was reduced to $119.95
by the date of its introduction.
Dismantling
the featured Bowmar 901B manufactured in February 1972 reveals not only the
TMS0103, but four Texas Instruments display drivers, the original Klixon™
keypad and a Bowmar-made Optostic LED display.
This calculator was sold under different labels, beside this
Bowmar 901B it was popular as Commodore C110 and Craig 4501, too.
Compare this Bowmar 901B
with the Mariner NRC7200 sporting LED displays from Monsanto.
Digging in the history of portable electronic calculators? Don't miss the Sanyo ICC-804D, Sharp EL-8 and Rapidman 800.
Later with the Bowmar 901D a similar calculator with a 10 digit display was sold.
A very similar design was introduced by Columbia with the Scientific. Don't miss the minirex 73, the Eastern copy from GDR company RFT and the Heathkit IC-2009. The Litronix Checkmate looks similar but is completely different.
If you are familiar with the
Klixon™ keyboard, have a
closer
look on the following machines:
All three calculators were manufactured by Texas Instruments
and use this keyboard:
| • Longines Symphonette EC • Montgomery Ward P800 • Radio Shack EC-100 |
Compare this 901B with later products like the MX55.
Bowmar Instruments was one of the first casualties of the Calculator Wars and filed in 1976 for bankruptcy. Don't miss a mystery calculator with the Bowmar brand introduced in 1977!
Klixon™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.
© Joerg Woerner, December 5, 2001. No reprints without written permission.