This is the calculator that my father bought for his senior year of high school in 1974. He showed it to me when I was four and I remember being amazed that a little box could add and subtract, captivated by the tiny red numbers. It was a few months later that he brought home our first computer, a Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, and I was again smitten. So much of the trajectory of my life can be traced back to those two objects.
When I opened the unit up I was not too terribly surprised to see a set of four AA batteries from the late 80's still installed, but I was very lucky that they hadn't leaked. I popped a new set in and it powered on with no issues. I played with it for a moment, the first time I had ever pushed the buttons on it, and placed it in the closet. I know it will be the perfect phylactery when I become a lich.
would have been class of 81 if i'd hung around that long. Got a similar one for Christmas one year and was amazed it could do times tables with just a transistor battery. school seemed a waste of time. besides 'shell oil' joke, my little brother discovered(autistic?) by holding some buttons and cycling the on/off switch, it could start 'counting'. rapidly flashing the first digit while the other digits would keep increasing. we left it increasing for days until the battery died. got me interested in computers which later paid my bills and finances my retirement. fun to think back on.