By the end of that decade, prices had dropped to the point where a basic calculator was affordable to most and they became common in schools.Ĭomputer operating systems as far back as early Unix have included interactive calculator programs such as dc and hoc, and calculator functions are included in almost all personal digital assistant (PDA) type devices, the exceptions being a few dedicated address book and dictionary devices. They became popular in the mid-1970s as the incorporation of integrated circuits reduced their size and cost. Modern electronic calculators vary from cheap, give-away, credit-card-sized models to sturdy desktop models with built-in printers. They later became used commonly within the petroleum industry (oil and gas). Pocket-sized devices became available in the 1970s, especially after the Intel 4004, the first microprocessor, was developed by Intel for the Japanese calculator company Busicom. The first solid-state electronic calculator was created in the early 1960s. A modern scientific calculator with a dot matrix LCDĪn electronic calculator is typically a portable electronic device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex mathematics.

C vs ce on a calculator