President (1978)
The President was Sinclair’s largest calculator, a contrast to the pocket-sized models the company had previously produced. Designed for desktop use, it featured a bright eight-digit fluorescent display and standard functions including percentage, memory, and square root. Its silver finish was prone to wear, so many surviving examples show surface loss. One of the few Sinclair calculators not made in England, it was assembled in British Hong Kong by Radofin, a firm also known for calculators and later video game consoles.
One of the last calculators produced by Sinclair, this silver-toned model was designed for desktop rather than pocket use. It featured advanced functions such as logarithms and trigonometry, aimed at students and professionals. The fluorescent display offered clear visibility but consumed more power than newer LCD alternatives. Assembled in British Hong Kong by Radofin, the President Scientific reflected Sinclair’s final efforts to compete in a shrinking market increasingly dominated by more compact and efficient Japanese designs.
This gold-toned calculator was designed for use in betting shops, where a “settler” calculated the winnings on complex horse and greyhound bets. Developed in partnership with The Sporting Life—a British newspaper focused on racing and betting—it performed both standard and betting-specific functions. Larger than the similar Sinclair President and assembled in British Hong Kong by Radofin, the Settler reflects a short-lived shift towards specialist calculators, introduced to target niche markets as general-purpose models faced growing competition.