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Busicom 2017 / 2017P Desktop Calculator
Busicom (Business Computer Corp.) 2017
Busicom 2017P
The Busicom 2017 was a nicely packaged 33 pound desktop programmable
calculator with CRT display. The machine wasn't designed by Busicom -- it
was designed by engineers at Wyle Laboratories (see more information about
Wyle Laboratories and its successor, Computer Design Corp. in an essay entitled
"The History of Compucorp")
under contract to Busicom beginning in late 1965. The machine was introduced
in February of 1969. The 2017 is a direct follow-on to the
Busicom 207 electronic
calculator with 10 additional memory registers.
The machine uses a built-in punched card reader that (bi-directionally) reads
cards that are connected together end-to-end to provide programs in length
that is limited only by how many cards can be managed. The machine has
a capacity of 20 digits, and provides 17 memory registers. A version of
the 2017 called the 2017P provided an externally connected high-speed
printer to permanantly record calculations. The calculator utilizes
small-scale DTL (Diode-Transistor Logic) integrated circuits, and
magnetostrictive delay lines for memory and working register storage.