Casio-8U Desk Calculator First Look
Casio-8U Alexandria Lee
The calculator is light until you put in the five required AA batteries and its clunky shape and weight translates as an object to be used on a surface rather than in hand. However, the textured surface gives the user a good grip, actually providing the handheld option. The leather like texture also suggests that this is a luxury item.
http://casio.ledudu.com/images/calculs/casio/goodies/zoom/8u.JPG
Original Casio-8U advertisement from the 1970s- A high price compared to the $4 I paid for it at the thrift store. I also find it interesting that the batteries make up half the weight of the calculator.
What drew me to this object were its buttons and the configuration of them, which take up more than 50% of the calculator’s front surface. They feel very comfortable under the fingers, with just the right size and slight concave surface for the fingertips as well a good pressure for smooth button-pushing. Visually, all but five of the buttons are the same and the five that differ seem to be the most important. Three of them are large and take up two button spaces. These include the 0, +/=, and -/=. As to why there are two types of = buttons I am not sure. The remaining two are red instead of white and include the C and AC buttons. The choice in making these five stand out makes sense since they are typically used the most.
Another interesting point that came up about the calculator button configuration in class was the difference between the configuration of numbers on a calculator compared to a phone. There are a lot of theories online but none are confirmed. However, there was one theory that stood out to me since it took the perspective of the user into account. The theory is that when dialing on the phone, the user is above the keypad, looking over. In this case it makes sense to start the number sequence from the top left down to the bottom since the user sees the top portion of the keypad first. In the case of the calculator, the user is normally sitting with the calculator on a desk and at a slight distance, giving them a different perspective of the keypad. In this position, the bottom portion of the keypad enters the user’s vision first, making sense to start the number sequence from the bottom.
A list of theories here
The experience that this calculator has left me with is that it is a complex machine. What is seemingly straightforward actually leads to more confusion. The buttons look fairly standard, but when actually completing calculations, there are more rules and options than the ordinary calculator. For example, to perform subtraction, you must enter # (+/=) # (-/=) in order to get the correct answer. You can also choose the amount of decimal places you want and select a constant. The calculator seems like a stationary machine, given it’s clunky shape and power cord option, however it has qualities that make it portable as well. It is marketed as a jack of all trades, having many functions, but like many things that are good at everything, this calculator isn’t great at anything and doesn’t truly fit into any categories.
Luxury (leather texture)--Cheap (plastic)
Many functions--Useless without practice
Portable (texture and carry case)--Stationary (Clunky and heavy)
