Retro Review: Canon FS-5 Solar Card Scientific Calculator
Company: Canon
Model: FS-5
Type: Scientific, One Variable Statistics
Year: 1983
Power: Solar
Memory
Registers: 1
Operating
System: AOS (prefix)
Statistics: One Variable
Forensic: 8.9789682 (9, sin, cos, tan, atan, acos,
asin)
A Credit-Card Sized Delight
The Canon FS-5
is a thin as a credit card calculators that came popular during the 1980s. Other calculators that belong to the credit
card size are Casio fx-82 and TI-30 SLR.
All the buttons are small, but are responsive, especially the small
round clear all ([CA]) button.
The display is
8 digits (which reduces to 5 digits when powers of ten are displayed).
One thing to
note, the power function is labeled by a^x.
Statistics
The statistics
package that the FS-5 offers is very simple:
mean, sample deviation (labeled by σ^(n-1)), and population variance (labeled
by v^n). You enter statistics mode
automatically by pressing the [SUM] button and delete last entry by the [INV]
[SUM] (DLT). To return to mathematics
mode and clear all statistics registers, press the [CA] button.
Going Green
The FS-5 run by
solar power, with no battery backup. Be
sure to be in adequate light.
This Calculator is Thin!
I think the
picture below says it all:
(Thickness
comparison: Casio fx-115 ES, Canon FS-5,
Sharp EL-510RN) (left to right)
Verdict
This is a nice,
thin, and simple scientific calculator.
I like the key design, especially since the buttons are small, they are
responsive. The calculator looks pretty
cool too. If you can find one online,
consider getting it. I paid $15, I think
that is reasonable, somewhere in the teens.
Until next
time,
Eddie
This blog is
property of Edward Shore, 2017.
