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Have you ever seen a pocket computer like this before? At first glance it looks like a simple calculator, but it's actually a programmable pocket computer released by Casio in the late 1980s. Even though it's small enough to fit in your pocket, you could write and run your own BASIC programs almost anywhere! While everyone remembers the big home computers of the era, devices like the PB-300 made programming much more portable and accessible. It's amazing to think that something small enough to fit in your pocket could already be used for programming decades ago!

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Derek Chandler

Sharp also had a number of pocket computers: https://sharppocketcomputers.com I remember seeing them in a local computer shop next to Atari 800s and TRS-80s, wondering what the point was. Later in the β€˜80s I programmed calculators in class to solve mathematical problems, so by then I suppose I had figured out their use!

Markintosh

That is cool! Is it NOS? It looks brand NEW!

Giorgio Sciani

When I was at university in the late 1980s, I used its small brother, the Casio PB-100. It was a neat little machineβ€”you could write some pretty nice BASIC programs on it 😊. But I’d never seen this one with the built-in printer before. Very cool! Thanks Sayaka, you always introduce me to new things from the past πŸ˜ŽπŸ‘‹πŸ»

Daniel Tappan

Will the printer still work? It looks like thermal paper. Reminds me of my Ti-83. Playing doom in math class. Never underestimate a tiny electronic.

Sam Meek

Wow! This takes me back to the days when I had my own pocket Casio digital diary, feeling very professional πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜† That is a beautiful looking beast 😍

JLG33

This is a great find, I hope you get to try out everything with it. I've always been fascinated by "pocket" computers such as this Casio PB-300, or the Tandy PC-1 (a rebranded Sharp PC-1211). Radio Shack also sold some similar Casio pocket computers rebranded as Tandy pocket computers. In the mid 1990's I bought an HP LP 200 palmtop DOS computer. The idea was I could sit in the park or someplace nice, and do some programming. I did that... just once. But it didn't stop there for me, and I set up programming environments on the Google G1 and on the Samsung Sidekick 4G (which had a great keyboard). Which I also ended up not using much for actual programming.

Agent Effe

I still have my Casio FX-850P on my desk, and I use it occasionally for basic operations. It’s way too slow for running BASIC programs anymore, but I just can’t bring myself to tuck it away in a drawer. Ah, nostalgia! πŸ˜„

Mark Claydon

I remember their advertisements, but never saw one in person. Hopefully you'll give us a video on yours. πŸ™‚

clockchaos

Wow! this is super cool. I love it when you find and share something i've never seen before. Its excellent. I thought i'd seen everything old tech wise, but it just goes to show even if you grew up in the 80s there's still things you never saw and can learn about :) Thanks so much for sharing this :)