Victor MEC calculators from the early 1970's

[Don Shepherd]

I got my first electronic calculator in 1972. I saw an ad in a magazine for the Victor MEC/2 (MEC = miniature electronic calculator). This was not a scientific calculator, it was designed for the businessman. And it was not cheap; I think I paid $319.

But it was beautiful and I used it for years until it died one day (I think I must have left it sit on the charging cradle without plugging the cradle in, contrary to what the manual said). Two years ago I acquired another MEC/2 on Ebay, then recently I acquired two additional MEC calcualtors that were successors to the MEC/2.

These are beautiful machines and the fact that they still work after 43 years is testimony to how they were built--to last. Same as HP calculators, my favorite of which is my 65, about 41 years old now.

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