The Dataman calculator is another children's educational toy from Texas Instruments, following the Little Professor. It was released in 1977 and was aimed at children over the age of seven. While the calculator did not perform normal calculations it did include a number of games and features such as 'Answer Checker' which allowed the user to enter a calculation, and tell them if it was correct. Games included: 

• Starmath Race - Using the calculator's memory you could enter 10 problems into the calculator, which it then suggested you hand to a friend and get them to solve the 10 maths problems.
• Electro Flash - A timed game to practice your addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tables. Players were rewarded with "a special light show" for their hard work!
• Number Guesser - Guess the number that Dataman is thinking of in as few guesses as possible!
• Wipe Out - A multi-player game against Dataman. Each player must solve a problem and pass it on to the next player to solve the next problem, against an invisible timer. When the timer stops the person holding the calculator is out. The last person playing is the winner.
• Force Out - A multi-player subtraction game. Starting at a number chosen by Dataman, each player must subtract a number from the next answer. Whoever ends at zero is the loser. Also suggests the game 'First Out' where the first person to get to zero is the winner.
• Missing Number Game - Fill in the missing number in the equation.
• Orbit Math - Using a game board in the manual two or more players set each other three maths problems. Correct answers allow you to progress along the board, the first to reach the sun at the end wins!

The manual included with the calculator was entitled 'The Story of Dataman' and told the story of Dataman, a "tiny robot, hardly bigger than your hand, with the brain of a computer and the heart of a friend" who was working against his enemy AntiMath, the "evil wizard from a dark star who has the mysterious power to cloud the minds of his victims and steal away the fun and excitement of mathematics".

The calculator had an eight-digit vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) and was powered by one 9 volt battery.

Our calculator with a model number of 48 80RC1 was assembled in Italy and was very kindly donated by Francis Hookham.

Manufacturer: TI
Date: 1977

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH30278. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.

Click on the Image(s) For Detail