SHARP PC‑1211

Description

Brand:	SHARP
Model:	PC-1211
Type:	BASIC-programmable pocket computer
Picture:
Batteries:	Battery pack
Lifetime:	Introduced: unknown Terminated: unknown
Notes:	This is one of the early BASIC-programmable calculators. I still remember the day when I saw it for the first time (in a TANDY magazine, the Radio Shack equivalent model was called the Radio Shack TRS-80 PC-1) and still remember how utterly amazed I was that it was possible to create a BASIC-programmable pocket calculator and actually hold it in the TANDY shop near my highschool! I never used this calculator myself, so I can not tell much about it. I only remember that it was not extremely fast, and that its error messages were not particularly clear. The specific type of LCD used in the PC-1211 is leaky and will eventually become unreadable. The same thing happens to other displays of the same type (for instance the Shart EL-6200). This LCD can however be replaced. You can buy The Half-Baked Maker's replacement here (link valid 2023-01-25). Yes, when one replaces the LCD one will no longer have the original Pocket Computer and the LCD's colour is different but at least it will be functional again. This calculator is the predecessor of the wonderful SHARP PC-1500 (also available as the Radio Shack TRS-80 PC-2, although slightly different).

As far as I know there's only a printer/cassette interface for this calculator (I own one) although my knowledge on this calculator is limited.