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The calculator: An accountant's best friend

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25th Jul 2013
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There are fewer physical objects more associated with being an accountant than the classic calculator.

In more modern times smartphones, tablets and even watches have made the traditional number-crunching, palm-held calculator somewhat redundant.

But many of our members have shunned new technologies and stuck with the devices that have seen them through the years.

AccountingWEB member Glennzy brought the issue to light when he lamented the demise of his beloved old Casio, which he had named ‘Ralph’.

Glennzy had been given Ralph in 1995 as a reward for passing his CIMA exams, but the solar-powered calculator smashed to bits in an unfortunate fall from his bag.

“Ralph has been with me, man and boy. It was worked through five different jobs and now, my own company,” he said.

“Like a royal marine who can strip his rifle blindfolded, I know every key position without looking. He was always happy to see me, his face always lit up when you pushed on his button.”

The lament triggered a flood of reminiscences of calculators past from other AccountingWEB members, some of whom still continue to use their trusty devices in in their daily lives today.

Triggle and Michaelaizqueirdo shared their tales of beloved Casio calculators that bit the dust.

Michaelaizqueirdo’s calculator actually suffered a ‘mental breakdown’ and is now in retirement after a small recovery.

Some members’ calculators, however, are a bit tougher.

“I managed to acquire a great calculator, Sharp ElsiMate. It has been with me ever since, six jobs, three countries later and is still going strong despite someone pouring Coca-Cola over it,” said Exceljockey.

Taxwriter’s Casio H1-101 is still working ever since starting in training with Peat Marwick Mitchell (now KPMG) in 1986.

Casio has proved to be the calculator brand of choice among accounting professions, but some others were also mentioned in dispatches.

Sharp featured prominently, and several members used the larger Texas Instruments devices.

David Winch spoke of how ‘flash’ he felt with his shoebox-sized Texas Instruments calculator, but was dismayed when the tax inspector disallowed his claim for the purchase cost under PAYE.

“…since it was not necessary for an accountant to have an electronic calculator; lots of accountants do their jobs perfectly well without one, opined the inspector.”

It was a similar story within the Inland Revenue, according to another member who worked in the PAYE department in the 1970s.

“We were told that under no circumstances were calculators to be used when performing tax calculations,” bradchick2000 said.

“I spent £10 and smuggled one in. Two years later calculators were being issued in the office.”

It wasn’t long before the nostalgia turned competitive, as members tried to establish who had the oldest calculator.

The 1970s Decimo Vatman gained a few votes as a good, older brand while the Addiator, Sinclair Scientifics and HP-41CVs with Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) were fondly recalled.

Duncanphilipstate raised the stakes by claiming to have slide rules before calculators became affordable.

Log books and Olivetti Summa Prina 20s were also mentioned, the latter now a collectors’ item.

Hayter recalled the old £sd comptometers with ha’penney and farthing buttons.

He trumped everyone, however, when he quipped: “If you would like to attend my autopsy, you will see the oldest calculator.”

And unlike Glennzy’s departed Ralph, both Casio and non-Casio brands were still up and running, including Brend201’s Sharp ElsiMate EL-308, still going since 1983, despite a serious fall that fractured its top.

Marionmorrison’s Sinclair Scientific was assembled by hand by the member in 1974 and still runs.

But the hardiest buck of a calculator is a Casio FX-82 that Kevinringer bought in 1984 and still runs off the very same batteries.

Perhaps the nostalgia wave that Ralph set in motion could lead to a vintage adding machine revival, if Shirley Martin's latest discussion group post is anything to go by. 

Inspired by the calculator conversation, Shirley dug up her Olivetti Summa Prima adding machine (nicknamed Rusty) and passed it to another AccountingWEB member who was looking for that specific model.

"Rusty has now arrived safely at his new home and is looking forward to restoration and a long and happy retirement in pride of place on his new owner's desk," she wrote.

Have you got a 'Rusty' or a 'Ralph'? Let us know what your favourite calculator or adding machine is.

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Replies (10)

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By the_Poacher
26th Jul 2013 11:54

Citizen CT-700 bought in 1992 after passing my exams.  Large usable buttons, solar with 2 AA battery back up (1 new set of batteries in 21 years).  A mark Up button,  day of the week button (input a date and it tells you the day it fell on).  Days between dates and a scrollable editable list of numbers for double checking those calculations in pre-spreadsheet days.

Marvelous

 

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By adefinch
26th Jul 2013 11:19

Casio HS-8L

I am still using a Casio HS-8L, normally given away free with 30 esso tiger tokens.   Acquired in around 1989 at a cost of £2.10 as i was an Esso Licensee at the time. I found a box (of 10) containing 8 of them the other day when clearing a cupboard, so in 24 years i've used three. One of the others is on my desk, the other one i seem to remember had a cracked display.

 

 

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By Fenella
26th Jul 2013 11:23

I'm a calculator tart

I just use whatever comes to hand or was going cheap when I needed to buy one. However isn't it time there was a Universal Standard Layout of calculators? Using any old calc does mean having to get used to different layouts. Also, why are calculator and phone numberpads laid out in reverse to one another? Can we get the UN to change one or the other to stop accountants constantly misdialling?

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By paulmeades
26th Jul 2013 11:52

Casio fx-7400G

Purchased when I was still at school circa 1986.  Has a 2.5 inch screen and EXE instead of = which means that no one else in the office can use it!

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By Ron001
26th Jul 2013 12:08

Comptometers

When I started in accountancy, (not yesterday!) one of the first sights to truly amaze me was a dedicated comptometer operator banging away on a machine with what seemed like a keyboard of something like 10 x 10 numeric keys and rattling through tots of pages and pages of client daybooks, checking totals, and of course finding a multitude of errors. 

Anyone know if there are any still in use?

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By adefinch
26th Jul 2013 12:39

Correction to self

Obviously i didnt use one when i wrote my earlier post else i'd have put seven instead of eight.

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Mark Lee headshot 2023
By Mark Lee
26th Jul 2013 14:16

"I'm going to be like Peter"

Like @Ron001 I started my training a while back. I think comptometers were very much on the way out.We had no computers so instead of spreadhseets we used either single or double analysis pads - for everything!

Back in 1977 I was allocated to a really old guy called Peter Church. He seemed ancient at the time, but I'd guess now he was probably about 45! I used to watch in awe as Peter ran his index finger down a column of numbers to add them up and then wrote the total in the space below. 

Peter did this so confidently that I decide to shun those new-fangled calculator thingies that had just come on the market.  As I watched Peter I decided that I was going to be like him. I had been top of the class in mental arithmetic at school so I knew I could do the same as Peter. 

For the next two days I practiced running my finger down columns of figures, putting in my totals and Peter checked them for me. I was good. I made the occasional mistake but I could do it. I wasn't as fast as Peter but I was sure I could get there. The good news was that I didn't need one of those big electronic calculator marvels.

The next week I moved into the main audit room where all my peers were working. They questioned my sanity when I shunned the use of a large electric calculator to add up columns of figures. They were all faster than me. Within another 2 days I had given in and have used a calculator ever since! Ever since then I have embraced all forms of modern technology. Why make life harder than it needs to be?

Mark

 

 

 

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By riches-watts
26th Jul 2013 14:37

BODMAS

Any one with BODMAS logic. Currently a trusty Casio fx-85WA.

Unfortunately my trusty Decimo Vatman died during (!) my P2 ICAEW exams, but the Casio is infinitely better. 

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By JodieAqua
29th Jul 2013 01:28

No! Kids!

I got my lovely sharp calculator when I first started studying back in 1996 so she would only be 17 now.

I have now finished my degree and have three lovely children that keep asking me if they can you her for their homework.  The pangs of anxiety that run through me at the thought of her lovely buttons getting grimy and sticky ensure that she stays safely out of harms reach :)

Funny how we become so attached to some inanimate objects

Cheers

JA

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By CathyB
29th Jul 2013 12:55

The dark ages

I started work before 1971 so had to add up columns of £ s d without a calculator!  There was 1 adding machine in the office.  I recently had to go back to estate accounts for 1966 and the younger people in the office were gobsmacked at the idea of 12d to a shilling and 20s to a £.

 

 

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