CONCLUSIONS - Inventing the PC - page 162

specifically for personal use, and the term “personal computer”
wasn't in use either. The situation was different in the calculator
field. In the nineteenth century, small, inexpensive, mechanical
calculating machines quickly began to penetrate the market, of-
fering rapid and reliable means of performing basic arithmetic
operations to businesses. 7 Marketing of these early calculators
required a language of purpose and benefits understood by
every businessman. By the end of the nineteenth century, this
language spoke of the calculators' operational power, simplicity
of use, affordability, and private, individual ownership. In 1893,
Ribbon Adder of New York was advertising its new calculating
machine as one that
does all that can be done by arithmetic - multiplying,
adding, and subtracting sterling currency as well as deci-
mal, and fractions. Simple as a tape measure, its workings
are understood at a glance … And while the prices of cal-
culating machines hitherto have been almost prohibitive,
the Ribbon Adder is furnished at a price which brings it
within the means of all. 8
These versatile mechanical calculators acquired the adjec-
tives “personal,” “pocket,” and “home” in the early twentieth
century. In 1904, Automatic Adding Machine Manufacturing
of New York began advertising its small GEM calculator as
“Your Personal Adding Machine; For Desk, Pocket, Home.”
Since then, the names of calculators have been frequently pre-
fixed with “personal.” The small mechanical slide adder Valiant
Personal Calculator and Casio's hand-held electronic calculator
named the “personal mini,” can serve as examples.
Between 1973 and 1975, therefore, MCM took advantage of
a century-old calculator marketing culture, basing its promo-
tional language on the success of electronic calculators and on
the failure of the computer industry and services to provide af-