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Remington E-3 "Multiplier" Desktop Calculator
Remington E-3 (Note Lack of [÷] and [.] Keys)
The Remington E-3 is an OEM version of the Brother 310 produced by
by Brother Industries, Ltd. in Japan. It is identical to the Brother 310 other than the Remington E-3 badge
beside the display panel, and the Model/Serial number tag. The machine was built by Brother in Japan, and provided to
Remington Rand without the model-specific badging and label, with Remington marketing, sellings, and supporting the calculators
under the Remington brand. Like the Brother 310, the Remington E-3 is a three-function calculator that does not provide a
divide function, nor does it support fractional numbers (e.g., there is no decimal point key). The lack of division
was a pretty serious handicap for an electronic calculator. It seems the thought behind such a calculators was that a the
reduced cost associated with a three-function calculator could sell into extremely cost-sensitive markets such as for home,
and very basic business use.
The brains of the machine utilize a three-chip MOS LSI "multiplier" calculator chipset made by Mitsubishi.
Whether by design, or an accident(logic flaws in the chipset that caused problems with the division function), this
chipset did sell to Japanese calculator makers Brother and Denon.
Denon's machine was the Denon DEC-311.
The three Mitsubishi chips, part numbers MA8111, MA8112, and MA8113, were packaged in ceramic flat-pack packaging,
with a rectangular package having long gold leads extending out from both long edges of the package. In the Denon
calculator, the "higher-end" of these "no divide" calculators, the chips were retained in complex sockets that supported and
connected the packages by the leads. Less-expensive versions, like the Remington E-3 (which was identical
OEM Brother 310 other than the name badge and model/serial number tag) had the chips soldered directly to the circuit board.
The Brother 310 and its OEM copies (e.g., the Remington E-3) use seven-segment vacuum-fluorescent display tubes as opposed
to the Nixie tube display in the Denon DEC-311. It isn't known if the Mitsubishi chipset provides some form of
display mode select, allowing it to drive Nixie tubes (1-of-10 outputs) or seven-segment display technology depending
on input to the chipset, or if the rendition of the display is determined entirely by the display driver circuitry located
outside the chipset.
With technology advancing so quickly in these times, the notion of selling a "three-function" electronic calculator that could
not divide was not a great strategy. With prices for full four-function electronic calculators in free-fall, why would anyone
buy a calculator that could not handle fractional numbers, and didn't have the ability to do division, when for literally
just a few dollars more, they could buy a full four-function calculator? It seems like the idea behind these machines
was more of a marketing gimmick rather than having any real merit. Whatever reason drove the marketing of these rather handicapped
chips and calculators, it likely will remain shrouded in the mists of time.