SHARP PC‑1211

Description

Brand: SHARP
Model: PC-1211
Type: BASIC-programmable Pocket Computer
Picture: SHARP PC-1211
Batteries: Battery pack
Lifetime: Introduced: 1980
Terminated: unknown
Notes: This is one of the early BASIC-programmable calculators. It was preceded by the Sharp PC-1210 and succeeded by the SHARP PC-1212.

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!

This Pocket Computer does not have a lot of memory, it has a maximum of 1424 programming steps. The memory is used for program storage as well as the storage of up to 178 variables. Plus 26 variables ("A" to "Z").

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-1210 and the PC-1211 is leaky and will eventually become unreadable. The same thing happens to other displays of the same type (for instance the Sharp EL-6200). This LCD can however be replaced. You can buy The Half-Baked Maker’s replacement here (link valid 2024-01-13). 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.

Peripherals

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.