Commodore P50
Brief History
Commodore has a full spectrum of calculators from four-function basic models to most sophisticated scientific, or programmable types. To reach even lower prices, the 1978's new models were planned to assemble in Hong-Kong, using MPS 7561 chip family from MOS Technologies to made a wide variety of calculators built on identical printed circuits. The completed five models (financial F4902, the algebraic logic scientific SR4912 and SR9190, RPN scientific SR4921, and the programmable scientific P50) use the well-known housing, but have cheaper buttons rather than injection molded keys. The invade of mass-produced japanese calculators with LCD displays don't let these models to become hits, and confirms the management of Commodore that researching computers rather than calculators is the only way to survive. A year later, after running out the last series Commodore had stopped manufacturing calculators.
The P50 from the series Decision Maker would be comparable to non-programmable scientific models rather than the earlier P100 model. It can store only 24 steps, and has only one memory register, so more complex mathematical problems couldn't be solved with this machine, although it has three kinds of conditional jump instructions which allows branching of programs depending on the displayed number.
Manufacturer: | Commodore Business Machines (USA/Hong-Kong) |
Mfg. date: | 1978 |
Size: | 8,1×15,2×4 cm |
Weight (ready for operate): | n.a. |
Type: | programmable scientific |
Capacity: | 8/8+2 digits (input/display) 10+2 digits (internal precision) |
Operating logic: | algebraic |
CPU: | MOS MPS7561 008 |
Registers: | 2 standard (with saving the pending operation) 1 memory (with aritmetic) |
Features: | +/-change sign (direct entry of negative numbers) RVexchange registers (X-Y) Ffloating-point notation Sciscientific (exponential) notation Sqrsquare root x2square pivalue of pi (3.1415..) can be recalled 1/xreciprocal trigtrigonometrical functions (sin, cos, tan and inverses: arcsin, arccos, arctan) logexponential and logarithmical functions (10- and e-base) yxraising to power n!factorial |
Display: | 14 digit LED |
Power: | 9V battery or adaptor |
Programming method: | non-programmable |
Test results: | trigonometry:result of sin-1(cos-1(tan-1(tan(cos(sin(60°)))))), reference value: 60. 60.01228245 exponential:result of 0.999160000, reference value (first 14 digits): 3.0068804206375×10-70 3.006896579E-70 |
Detailed Description