In 1976 Sharp released the EL-8026 which was the world's first calculator to use photovoltaic (PV) cells, making it solar-powered. In 1979 Sharp developed a new ultra violet PV cell which acted on fluorescent light with much reduced surface area. This enabled Sharp to produce a range of solar-powered, wallet-type calculators in the early 1980s, which included the EL-835 calculator.

At the time of release the Sharp EL-835 Elsimate calculator was advertised as the world's thinnest calculator, with the case measuring 1.6mm at its thinnest.

The Sharp EL-835 ELSIMATE is an arithmetic calculator with 8-digit precision and algebraic logic. It has six functions, 24 keys and an LCD (liquid crystal display).

This example in our collection is an Apple promotional item and was kindly donated by Basil Seymour on behalf of his late brother Andrew Seymour.

Manufacturer: Sharp
Date: 1982

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH30369. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.

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