This is gorgeous. I’m very afraid if I buy one it will trigger a wave of revulsion for normal everyday products and I’ll become one of these obsessive people who talk about fonts.
This happened to me with RPN calculators. One day I realized I had way more calculators than I knew what to do with. Original HP's, re-released HP's, SwissMicros, not to mention the accompanying documentation I printed out and had spiral-bound. This all started out because I wanted a FOSS calculator to do some math for another rabbit hole I was down. Next thing I knew, I was getting excited about the life you'd get out of silver oxide batteries.
Same thing happened to me when i first considered buying a mechanical keyboard. After decades of not caring about keyboards, and laughing at those who did, i found myself considering a 500$ keyboard. But i pushed back from the computer. I eventually bought a 45$ mechanical "gaming" keyboard and am still perfectly happy with it four years later.
Reading this webpage, and then the other comments here, taught me something important about myself: I am a Philistine. I don't think I would notice any difference between this and a glossy plastic calculator costing $5. I actually assumed that this piece was for people who collect calculators, but it seems like it has broader appeal based on the other comments?
You may choose to reduce its meaning by not engaging or connecting with its story, but say you actually take the time to read through that page which bothers to talk about the tradition of the craft and even shows a picture of the artist, to still remain in that place is to deny it of any meaning behind all that was involved.
At that point, when you say something like that what others may hear is that you do not value the craftsmanship and artistry that accompany the product.
It’s okay not to like it and say it’s not for you, but to fail to recognize effort and deny craft is a bit rude, you don’t need to like it to be able to recognize it as something that exists in a different level than the status quo.
I think there is something beautifully functionalist to value things only at what they can do, and not based on any subjective valuation such as narrative or aesthetics.
I’m not that way, but I wouldn’t put someone down who is that way.
Oh don’t get me wrong I agree with what you said, I too feel the same way about this.
I mostly meant to say that sometimes it isn’t just about function (like this case), and then dismissing it by saying you don’t recognize the difference becomes alienation by choice.
That is because you have to see it in real life. I have never seen this calculator myself, but I have been to a lacquerware company called Hanoia in Vietnam. They als do lacquerware for Hermes. First thing you will notice is that the colours are super rich. If you see a yellow tea box, then it has the deepest and richest yellow you have ever seen. It is like going from a 2010 LCD to a 2026 OLED screen.
>It is like going from a 2010 LCD to a 2026 OLED screen.
Revealing. I'll bet plenty still can't tell the difference (or don't care). I'm one. I've always used low-end laptops, mobiles, clothes, vehicles, anything else you can think of. I care that it functions (so I buy good brands and new) but everything else except price is a very secondary. When I read things like "rich, vivid colors" in a description of a screen, for example, or "clear, deep bass" for some earbuds, my eyes glaze over. Whatever. Does it work and will it last?, is what I want to know. I also don't care about (or even really notice) the taste of tap water. Water is water. All this must be related and I can't be the only one.
FWIW, I had the same opinion on tap water until I moved to a different area of my region and only after moving and researching did I learn my previous area had some of the highest water quality in my nation. The new area has converted me to filtered water.
You're not the only one. There are millions of people out there who have no appreciation for art, craft, skill, quality, or finesse.
They're very base people who go through life seeing only price tags, and tallying worth only in dollar figures. They act like life is a video game and money is the score.
It's a shallow life, devoid of the appreciation of all the wonderful things available, and in my estimation, barely living. It's just existing as a robot does.
Why spend vacation in Fiji when there are sunsets in Fresno, too?
I do think the mention of consumerism is apt. In my own encounters with those that seem to take pride in their inability to distinguish certain nuances, it does come off as a mental block borne of not wanting to feel like they are missing out on expensive things.
I think it cuts both ways though — there are those who will exaggerate or outright fabricate subtle differences in order to justify their expensive purchases, and also those that will deny real differences because they think everyone is just doing the first thing.
One can also look at distinguishing what is important to what is unimportant to a particular person. Personally, I look towards functionality over aesthetics. That isn't to say that I will completely disregard aesthetics, but I have certainly gone with those black bricks called ThinkPads over MacBooks in the past.
You are right about it cutting both ways though. I remember laptop shopping with a colleague in the past. They were trying to replace a barely functional laptop that they purchased because of its "design" with something they could get work done on. Unfortunately, they refused to acknowledge that functionality is an element of design. The whole experience was one of frustration.
This calculator appears to fit into a similar category. I'm sure it is a perfectly fine calculator, functionally speaking, if you are performing basic financial calculations. It isn't going to cut it if your working outside of that domain. When you consider that a calculator that is a tenth (or even a hundredth) of the price is going to offer a similar experience, I'm not even sure I would regard the nuances in its design a good thing. Yes, it says something about it's owner. I'm just not sure it says the right thing.
But I should add (contrary to the rebuttal my provocative take attracted) that I am in fact very finely tuned to esthetics. As a photographer I'm obsessed with getting everything right (composition, light, texture, color, details) and routinely delete everything that doesn't make the cut.
It just seems obvious to me that in consumer products, most of the differences are pretty small in substantive terms. Big economic interests are at stake in amplifying them, and conjuring up demand through marketing, and generally manipulating us.
The example I had in mind was actually audio equipment. Like, clearly the high end stuff gets into diminishing returns to a point somewhere between absurdity and mysticism. But I’ve also had a friend that was completely convinced that vinyl sounds the same as spotify, and that anyone who thought otherwise was just a pretentious poseur.
Years ago I looked into this when ripping some CDs, because the question has of course been tested under controlled conditions. From memory, the general finding is that most people are incapable of distinguishing audio quality over 128kbps, and even self-declared audiophiles have trouble at 256. So I picked 192.
I have almost exactly the opposite reaction. By not caring so much about the minute details of physical things, or having the very best croissants or whatever, frees you up to enjoy anything or focus on interactions with people, ideas, anything else.
Being able to enjoy/tolerate a cup of coffee from my cheap machine at home saves me €2 and 30 minutes of my day. I’m happy that I am not a connoisseur.
And what’s wrong with that? You’re rarely or never disappointed while enjoying most things. I’d say it results in a life well lived rather than nitpicking every single little detail.
And that blissful ignorance is the upside! But I would say it is a life not well lived; a life without contemplation, with appreciation of only that which is superficial and accessible.
I have used both screens recently and I only notice the difference when I'm thinking about it. (Or when there's not enough space to fit everything I want to see.)
Well then consider yourself lucky and don’t try to fix what isn’t broken!
I have this for wine. I can tell an objectively disgusting wine but other than that I find most wines (I’m in Europe so it’s different) pretty decent. I’m working hard to keep it that way. I have friends who are almost always disappointed in their wine and have to pay a fortune for a bottle they’ll find decent. No thanks.
Classic price anchoring. The very high end limited edition justifies the price of the "mere" $350 premium model.
Some people here will be rushing to buy the latter because the former is no longer available, even though they don't need a very average calculator in a premium case. (And if they did need a useful premium calculator, they'd buy an HP.)
Imagine donating all your money to charity too, do you do that? The thing about comparing spending is that there is always more one can spend, and there is always more one can give away.
I was also thinking this, but I think shaming people for spending money the way they want is counterproductive. Same as with veganism, claiming the moral high ground (even implicitly) can be very galling, even to people who would otherwise agree. I think it's cool if people want to spend their money to help others. If they want to spend it on a nice suit instead, it's not my cup of tea but there are much more harmful ways to spend it.
The craft is obviously there, but it still looks rather tacky to me, mostly because of its lacquered finish, a look I generally can't stand. Or in American vernacular: "it just doesn't speak to me".
It's a vanity item, like a Rolex watch, and its existence is not for actual utility.
Utility-wise for the cost, it's not outstanding compared to regular calculators. If you spend enough time with S100X for the cost to be justified, then you are wealthy or you are spending way too much time at the calculator and should reconsider your workflow, e.g. using a spreadsheet or Python script instead, and those things are cheaper than this calculator.
Nothing wrong if anyone wants to buy it. But technically there is nothing special here, just the physical appearance/build.
A Grand Seiko could be an apt comparison, this is hand finished rather than mass produced on a production line. Also, by a Japanese craftsperson using a prized skill (lacquer vs zaratsu).
>> vanity item
Who covets a calculator? The attraction here is surely celebrating the craftsmanship and the story / history behind the product and firm that produced it.
I'm an Android user but iPhones are good value. Most people use their phone a lot so it's worth paying extra for something capable, reliable, easy to use.
indestructible. small. solar (never out of battery; worked also with indoor electric light). contained all I needed for school (im from before the graphical calculator era).
Time to start a project to make a handcrafted lacquer face for some other calculators; I have a few HP-80 (https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp80.htm) to test the idea on ;)
No, it’s not. One thing is to resell an item after you’ve used/enjoyed it and then maybe its value has increased. Much different is to buy an item to sell immediately and making a quick profit.
>A spin metal finish is applied to the rounding and decimal selector levers, giving them a unique brilliance.
Naturally, they mean that the levers were faced off on a lathe, then maintaining that center, machined to size/shape --- nice touch given how the chrome plated plastic buttons on my PRS-505 e-book reader wore down after years of use.
Knowing about Japanese Lacquer (aka Urushi) will change the way that you see the world. Urushi is the sap of a tree that is related to poison oak and posion ivy. You can learn to use it by wearing a biohazard suit or by suffering through until you develop an immunity to the urushiol. To call it "the itch" does not do it justice. You do not really know the full depths of being a human until you decide, with full knowledge of the consequences, to go down this road.
Urushi is transformed by curing in a warm and humid environment to something that is food safe and not toxic - for example Japanese rice bowls. Then there are they myriad decorative techniques such as Rankaku - using quail egg shells for decoration.
A dermatologist friend told me there are people who react to poison ivy, and people who do not yet react to poison ivy. He explained to the effect that repeated exposure tends to sensitize people. Poison ivy/oak/etc. has no effect on them, then one day it does.
I grew up playing in woods thick with the stuff and never had a problem. Then I had a hell of a reaction to it in high school, and it’s been cruel to me since then.
This article in the WSJ was by an author who decided to induce immunity to poison oak by exposure: eating it. It's... quite the journey, evidently, but possible:
Congratulations, you’ve encountered someone with passion. It lives in people all over the world, but Japanese craft has a particular gift for making it visible in every detail, every material, and every decision pushed to its absolute perfection. Toyotas quality, Grand Seikos polish and accuracy and Jiros sushi just to mention a few of the exported ones.
This is almost certainly a Japanese product for Japanese people/companies who will give it to other Japanese people as a GIFT. Japan has a never-ending gifting protocol. People buy perfectly normal beer in a fancy box, to give it as a gift. It's a nice thing about Japan that is particularly Japanese, which is probably why many of you don't understand the purpose of this product. I bet if someone gave it to you spontaneously, you'd appreciate it!
We're geeks so we call the electric town by its proper shortened name in Tokyo-slang: "Akiba". It's just Akiba. But I fear Akiba ain't what it used to be.
Yeah, Akihabara is really hard to walk away from. Treasure troves at every corner, surprises down every staircase, and somehow always one more shop you "have to" check out before leaving.
How many 4-function calculators have n-key rollover? What would that even be used for? Are you touch typing on the calculator at 100 digits per minute?
Yes, you will pay more than the original price. But once every 30 years or so I don’t give a fuck, I want this because the video showed a man working on it who cared.
It's not about the calculator. I don't even know how to use one beyond basics. Similiar like luxury watches. I can't even read the time. It's about the craftsmanship .
It's a reliable piece of equipment you can ask 2+2 and get 4 every time, unlike the modern LLM that will give you a story about why it's actually five.
buttons ? knobs ? we are fascinated by machines. It's curiosity about the inner workings of the machine and fascination by the mistery of the closed box. you can observe that in certain kids
[0]https://hhkb.io/models/HHKB_Professional_HG/
Ordinary choices are between bread and nothing.
And a $45 keyboard is rounding error on a $500 keyboard if you decide to buy one.
You may choose to reduce its meaning by not engaging or connecting with its story, but say you actually take the time to read through that page which bothers to talk about the tradition of the craft and even shows a picture of the artist, to still remain in that place is to deny it of any meaning behind all that was involved.
At that point, when you say something like that what others may hear is that you do not value the craftsmanship and artistry that accompany the product.
It’s okay not to like it and say it’s not for you, but to fail to recognize effort and deny craft is a bit rude, you don’t need to like it to be able to recognize it as something that exists in a different level than the status quo.
I’m not that way, but I wouldn’t put someone down who is that way.
I mostly meant to say that sometimes it isn’t just about function (like this case), and then dismissing it by saying you don’t recognize the difference becomes alienation by choice.
Revealing. I'll bet plenty still can't tell the difference (or don't care). I'm one. I've always used low-end laptops, mobiles, clothes, vehicles, anything else you can think of. I care that it functions (so I buy good brands and new) but everything else except price is a very secondary. When I read things like "rich, vivid colors" in a description of a screen, for example, or "clear, deep bass" for some earbuds, my eyes glaze over. Whatever. Does it work and will it last?, is what I want to know. I also don't care about (or even really notice) the taste of tap water. Water is water. All this must be related and I can't be the only one.
They're very base people who go through life seeing only price tags, and tallying worth only in dollar figures. They act like life is a video game and money is the score.
It's a shallow life, devoid of the appreciation of all the wonderful things available, and in my estimation, barely living. It's just existing as a robot does.
Why spend vacation in Fiji when there are sunsets in Fresno, too?
I think it cuts both ways though — there are those who will exaggerate or outright fabricate subtle differences in order to justify their expensive purchases, and also those that will deny real differences because they think everyone is just doing the first thing.
You are right about it cutting both ways though. I remember laptop shopping with a colleague in the past. They were trying to replace a barely functional laptop that they purchased because of its "design" with something they could get work done on. Unfortunately, they refused to acknowledge that functionality is an element of design. The whole experience was one of frustration.
This calculator appears to fit into a similar category. I'm sure it is a perfectly fine calculator, functionally speaking, if you are performing basic financial calculations. It isn't going to cut it if your working outside of that domain. When you consider that a calculator that is a tenth (or even a hundredth) of the price is going to offer a similar experience, I'm not even sure I would regard the nuances in its design a good thing. Yes, it says something about it's owner. I'm just not sure it says the right thing.
But I should add (contrary to the rebuttal my provocative take attracted) that I am in fact very finely tuned to esthetics. As a photographer I'm obsessed with getting everything right (composition, light, texture, color, details) and routinely delete everything that doesn't make the cut.
It just seems obvious to me that in consumer products, most of the differences are pretty small in substantive terms. Big economic interests are at stake in amplifying them, and conjuring up demand through marketing, and generally manipulating us.
I have this for wine. I can tell an objectively disgusting wine but other than that I find most wines (I’m in Europe so it’s different) pretty decent. I’m working hard to keep it that way. I have friends who are almost always disappointed in their wine and have to pay a fortune for a bottle they’ll find decent. No thanks.
Some people here will be rushing to buy the latter because the former is no longer available, even though they don't need a very average calculator in a premium case. (And if they did need a useful premium calculator, they'd buy an HP.)
When you spending $75,000 on a new suit, the tailor shouldn't be using a Dollar Store calculator.
Utility-wise for the cost, it's not outstanding compared to regular calculators. If you spend enough time with S100X for the cost to be justified, then you are wealthy or you are spending way too much time at the calculator and should reconsider your workflow, e.g. using a spreadsheet or Python script instead, and those things are cheaper than this calculator.
Nothing wrong if anyone wants to buy it. But technically there is nothing special here, just the physical appearance/build.
A Grand Seiko could be an apt comparison, this is hand finished rather than mass produced on a production line. Also, by a Japanese craftsperson using a prized skill (lacquer vs zaratsu).
>> vanity item
Who covets a calculator? The attraction here is surely celebrating the craftsmanship and the story / history behind the product and firm that produced it.
indestructible. small. solar (never out of battery; worked also with indoor electric light). contained all I needed for school (im from before the graphical calculator era).
I was never more unpopular at school than the day we had an exam and I was learning RPN on a calculator that beeped every time you hit the wrong key.
>A spin metal finish is applied to the rounding and decimal selector levers, giving them a unique brilliance.
Naturally, they mean that the levers were faced off on a lathe, then maintaining that center, machined to size/shape --- nice touch given how the chrome plated plastic buttons on my PRS-505 e-book reader wore down after years of use.
[1] https://paulgraham.com/brandage.html
I would buy it instantly, if it would be a scientific calculator, ideally with RPN.
Oh and i would have used a LCD with amber on black.
"Limited to 650 units. Sold Out"
https://www.casio.com/jp/basic-calculators/product.S100X-JC1...
Urushi is transformed by curing in a warm and humid environment to something that is food safe and not toxic - for example Japanese rice bowls. Then there are they myriad decorative techniques such as Rankaku - using quail egg shells for decoration.
I've recently seen the word "entanglement" in a completely different context. But Urushi entangles you in nature and your environment in way that is utterly breath taking. For example: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/modern-masters-...
[edit for grammar and clarity]
I grew up playing in woods thick with the stuff and never had a problem. Then I had a hell of a reaction to it in high school, and it’s been cruel to me since then.
https://www.wsj.com/style/eat-poison-ivy-oak-immunity-3207ec...
https://www.ebay.de/itm/147282358614
Yes, you will pay more than the original price. But once every 30 years or so I don’t give a fuck, I want this because the video showed a man working on it who cared.