901B is the first pocket calculator I remember - I don't know if there were
earlier ones.

On Tue, 16 Apr 2024, Van Snyder via cctalk wrote:
The first one I remember is the HP Digital Slide Rule, about 1965. Six
digits. $600.

The HP-35 was marketed with a name of "Electronic Slide Rule"
https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/calculators/1/64/264
Similar title, 52 years ago, not 59 years ago.
It came out in 1972.
I saw one in late 1972.

In 1972, however, you could get a Silent 700, and connect to a timesharing machine over telephone.

Although the HP-35 was the first "pocket calculator" from HP, it was not the first handheld calculator.

In 1970 or 1971, Wang had a tiny desktop calculator that had a card reader! The card reader was an external peripheral, that clam-shell closed on individual port-a-punch cards (perforated normal sized cards using every other column)

In fact, by 1972, there was even a handheld calculator made in France; one of my bosses in 1972 had that. It was kept in my desk drawer, and they called me "Head of computing services" in bidding on at least one contract. A completely undeserved title, just because I did a little programming in FORTRAN and APL, and was the keeper of the calculator.

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