My Sharp EL-5813, which I first acquired in 1981 (I think) is still in my desk drawer, and working fine. The most remarkable thing about this particular gadget (aside from the fact that its still working at all) is that in 37 years I have only had to replace the batteries twice.
Do you happen to remember how much you bought it for?
Just wondering if it was much more expensive (inflation-adjusted) than a modern one. As there are claims that products these day are made less durable in exchange for being more affordable/accessible.
Sorry, I have no recollection of how much I paid. That was a long time ago. It's definitely true that devices are ridiculously cheaper today. I paid >$1000 in 1980 dollars for an Apple ][. Today you can get a Raspberry Pi Zero for $5. I also don't think that the hardware is that much less durable. I have an iPhone 4S that is still going strong. The real problem IMO is not that things are less reliable, but that they're built to be disposable rather than repairable and upgradeable.
> I also don't think that the hardware is that much less durable. I have an iPhone 4S that is still going strong.
That depends on the price range. An iPhone 4s does not entirely consist of glue whereas I have seen lots of cheap Android phones without a single screw. I hope no one ever begins to use heat plastic fusing like e.g. chargers do...
