I love old programmables, but this?

[robve]

The oldest (1973) programmable in my collection (at this time) is a Sharp PC-1001, a small desktop programmable is relatively small at 226x140x71mm and weighing 1.1kg, compared to the Sharp Compet 365p at 370x360x250mm and weighing 13.3kg. Alas, the PC-1001 has no branching, so it won't run N-Queens.

   

The PC-1001 among three other vintage Sharps (QT-8D, PC-1001, EL-811, PC-1200) for size comparison:

   

Trivia fact: The Sharp PC-1001 is the first machine to use the Rockwell PPS-4 microprocessing system. PPS-4 was a competitor to the famous Intel 4004 and later the 8008. PPS-4 came on the market one year later than the 4004. The PMOS -17V 42 pin quad in-line package PPS-4 10660 (lubb0) CPU is efficient. It runs at the same speed as the 4004, but at 1/3 of the clock rate.

PC-1001/1002:
https://www.johnwolff.id.au/calculators/...001-02.htm
https://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/sharppc1001.html
http://rskey.org/CMS/index.php/exhibit-hall/115

PPS-4:
https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/rockwell_in...onal/pps-4
https://en.wikichip.org/w/images/3/3a/ro...974%29.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_PPS-4

- Rob