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Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition (JP Page Only)
- JSR_FDED 5mo agoThis 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.
- a34729t 5mo agoLook at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God, it even has a watermark...
- herodoturtle 5mo agoLet’s see Paul Allen’s calculator.
- deleted 5mo ago[deleted]
- jayd16 5mo agoIt's too late. You're now a moderator on /r/calculators.
- helterskelter 5mo agoThis 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.
- cryo32 5mo agoYeah same. HP42s. I keep buying them in case they break. Think I have about 5 now. None of them have broken.
- sandworm101 5mo agoSame 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.
- brudgers 5mo agoOrdinary choices are not between bread and cake. Ordinary choices are between bread and nothing. A $45 keyboard is rounding error on a $500 keyboard if you decide to buy one. And buying and trying the cheap one is how a person gets direct experience to make a well informed decision.
- fho 5mo ago"buy twice" is one of those live advices I heard and adhere to since. It's basically the optimistic interpretation of "buy cheap, buy twice": When I consider getting into something I buy cheap first, the idea being that that is enough to get a feel ... ... then you buy the second time and don't cheap out. But this purchase is more informed and you really get to appreciate it more because you know the step up from the cheap thing. And sometimes... maybe even most of the time... the cheap thing is just enough.
- brudgers 5mo agoYes and buying the expensive item is not insurance against losing it, or breaking it, or it not being particularly useful. That’s before the possibility of buying the expensive version used…or the expensive item not being more robust. On top of that, the canon of fine objects includes careful use and high maintenance…I know a guy who took offense at the suggestion he could drive his 911s in the rain. And of course, you can buy a $45 keyboard twice and have a backup or one for your other computer, etc. Likewise, you can replace a $45 keyboard at 7pm on Tuesday at your local Walmart.
- somat 5mo ago
- eahm 5mo ago>I’ll become one of these obsessive people who talk about fonts. NOT ME, NOT ME.
- Mobius01 5mo agoBecoming aware of typography practices will drive you insane. The world is full of atrocities. Live in bliss. But still buy the calculator :)
- deruta 5mo ago> Becoming aware of typography practices will drive you insane. And try to use the em-dash properly these days!
- wiseowise 5mo ago> I’ll become one of these obsessive people who talk about fonts. It's called "having a style", and there's nothing wrong with it.
- aselimov3 5mo ago3-key rollover instead of n-key rollover?? Pass…
- gwerbin 5mo agoHow 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?
- yonatan8070 5mo agoI feel like the parent comment was sarcasm
- stavros 5mo ago100 digits per minute is less than two per second, I feel like most people exceed that.
- drivingmenuts 5mo agoI bet watching people use a calculator by poking at it with one finger drives you absolutely homicidal.
- devindotcom 5mo agoWas hoping this was a lacquered F-91W, but the calculator is pretty nice too.
- openuntil3am 5mo agoAbout $600 apparently. The regular S100X is $350.
- simonebrunozzi 5mo agoWhere can you buy it for that price?
- bookofjoe 5mo agoNowhere at that price; as noted above, scores of them for sale on eBay from $1,100-$$2,000 + $300-$500 shipping
- TruffleLabs 5mo agoTime 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 https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp80.htm) to test the idea on ;)
- jrumbut 5mo agoMy father was a big HP calculator fan. I used to forget my TI calculator for class and he would lend it to me. 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.
- iancmceachern 5mo agoThis is amazing. If you've ever held a fountain pen with this finish you know.
- wtn 5mo agoOnly 650 units worldwide, according to The Verge.
- LeoPanthera 5mo agoI tried to buy this, when it was released. It sold out instantly. I was sad.
- nickandbro 5mo agoWhy do I have an urge to buy this? I have no use for it. But damn did they sell it to me well.
- talkingtab 5mo agoKnowing 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. 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-chefs-doeuvre-dune-collection-privee/jean-dunand-vase-5 https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/modern-masters-... [edit for grammar and clarity]
- halapro 5mo ago[flagged]
- patch_cable 5mo agoThat’s a bit uncharitable. It made perfect sense to me. I also learned something about Japanese lacquer.
- anomaly_ 5mo ago[flagged]
- bestham 5mo agoCongratulations, 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.
- talkingtab 5mo ago
- WarOnPrivacy 5mo agoAbout $1k on ebay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Casio+s100x+lacquer https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Casio+s100x+lacquer
- msie 5mo agoUgh, I hate scalpers!
- retired 5mo agoI do not have negative feelings against resellers of luxury products. That is just supply and demand at work.
- edu 5mo agoNo, 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.
- retired 5mo agoBuying something specifically to resell at a profit is called commerce. Walmart does it every day.
- Blackthorn 5mo agoJapan loves the limited edition stuff. Was very sad when I wasn't able to get the Bocchi guitar because Yamaha decided to only make a few hundred of them, even though they could easily sell 10x as many.
- deleted 5mo ago[deleted]
- nxobject 5mo agoMy god, the keys: the keycaps are __double-shot__, have scissor switches, and 3-key rollover.
- zczc 5mo agoThey have the same on cheaper (but still "Special"/"Premium") non-lacquer S100 version: https://www.casio.com/jp/basic-calculators/product.S100/ https://www.casio.com/jp/basic-calculators/product.S100/
- ai_slop_hater 5mo agoLet's see Paul Allen's calculator.
- NetMageSCW 5mo agoHP used to use double shot keycaps on calculators like the 41 and 48 and had amazing feel that lasted forever.
- jnaina 5mo agoLooks like I need to plan for a weekend trip to Tokyo to get this and along with my annual pilgrimage to Akihabara
- dyauspitr 5mo agoYou actually plan on returning from Akihabara?
- jnaina 5mo agoYeah, 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.
- TacticalCoder 5mo agoWe'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.
- fwipsy 5mo agoReading 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?
- enaaem 5mo agoThat 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.
- fwipsy 5mo agoI 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.)
- bluebarbet 5mo ago>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.
- reaperducer 5mo agoYou'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?
- ArchD 5mo agoIt'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.
- CraigJPerry 5mo ago>> like a Rolex watch 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.
- deleted 5mo ago[deleted]
- angled 5mo agoBut surely, a Casio would be the fitting watch to wear while wielding this work: https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.MRG-B2000JS-1A/ https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.MRG-B2000JS-...
- retinaros 5mo agoiphone is a vanity item. this is something unique handcrafted.
- fwipsy 5mo agoI'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.
- 5mo ago
- PacificSpecific 5mo agoThere's also a Hokusai range of calculators I saw at yodobashi camera Yokohama this spring. It was 60$,I didn't buy it but I kind of wish I did.
- sourcecodeplz 5mo agoWhy is everyone on HN so fascinated with calculators? Was that your first real pc that you could program?
- siva7 5mo agoIt'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 .
- slim 5mo agobuttons ? 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
- red_admiral 5mo agoDon't forget Blinkenlights, as they were called back in the day! This kind of thing just makes me feel happier than touchscreens: https://hackaday.com/2023/12/28/your-home-mainframe/ https://hackaday.com/2023/12/28/your-home-mainframe/
- retired 5mo agoUnironically yes. Plenty of millennials I know learned how to program on their TI-83.
- Natsu 5mo agoNot me! I didn't have a TI, I had a Casio calculator and wrote games on that during math class.
- kotaKat 5mo agoIt'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.
- 5mo ago
- lagrange77 5mo agoThis looks awesome! 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.
- avaer 5mo agoI can't help but see this through the lens of PG's essay about watches [1] [1] https://paulgraham.com/brandage.html https://paulgraham.com/brandage.html
- simonebrunozzi 5mo agoI don't understand how one would buy it. Any help?
- retired 5mo agoOnly available in Japan, you will need a reseller or a forwarding company to purchase it. Already sold out.
- ManuelKiessling 5mo agoJust bought this one from a Japanese eBay dealer with many very good reviews, so fingers crossed no scam: https://www.ebay.de/itm/147282358614 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.
- speed_spread 5mo agoBragging rights? Feeling empty inside even though you're on top of the pyramid and trying to fill yourself with pricey objects?
- nihonde 5mo agoThis 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!
- nihonde 5mo agoOh, also, "Made in Japan" is a huge deal for a lot of people in Japan.
- windowliker 5mo agoThis might be the only calculator ever where it would be a shame to type in 5318008.
- ipsin 5mo agoI wonder if the hardware is old-school, or if they put a modern microcontroller in it?
- deleted 5mo ago[deleted]
- portly 5mo agoI found the deep lacquer luster a bit lackluster
- bookofjoe 5mo ago¥99,000 [$632 USD] "Limited to 650 units. Sold Out" https://www.casio.com/jp/basic-calculators/product.S100X-JC1-U/ https://www.casio.com/jp/basic-calculators/product.S100X-JC1...
- Schlagbohrer 5mo agoAbsolutely have zero use for it, 100% feel like i MUST have one
- WillAdams 5mo agoInteresting translation: >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.
- Infernal 5mo agoIf I’m not mistaken it appears the regular S100X has these too. The only difference really seems to be the lacquer finish, and maybe the navy display.
- flossly 5mo agoMy fav was Casio fx 260 solar: https://www.amazon.nl/Casio-Solar-Scientific-Calculator-Black/dp/B000Q5XTBQ https://www.amazon.nl/Casio-Solar-Scientific-Calculator-Blac... 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).
- spankibalt 5mo agoThe 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".
- seemaze 5mo agoIf you are into Japanese lacquer x technology mashups, check out the 10th anniversary HHKB (happy hacking keyboard) by PFU Fujitsu[0] [0]https://hhkb.io/models/HHKB_Professional_HG/ https://hhkb.io/models/HHKB_Professional_HG/
- Tsiklon 5mo agoWonderful. I wonder is there a plan for a 30th anniversary edition given that this December marks that point
- GuinansEyebrows 5mo agothanks for linking to my page and reminding me how badly i need to do a round of updates -_-
- seemaze 5mo agoThanks for sending me down the Topre rabbit hole!
- GuinansEyebrows 5mo agomy condolences :) just kidding. hope you found oneness with cup rubber.
- j-kent 5mo agoWe need this for Korg and Roland synths
- CapitalistCartr 5mo agoSo it's about $630 USD and sold out. "Limited to 650 units worldwide (production units)."
- selfawareMammal 5mo agoIs it me or it just doesn't look that amazing?
- speedgoose 5mo agoDifferent tastes I guess. I personally appreciate Teenage Engineering design and also some of Braun designs. This calculator, hard pass for me.
- m3kw9 5mo agoFor when you need 1+1=2 to be even more correct.
- m3kw9 5mo agoThat is what Apple needs, a Lacquer edition iProduct
- ksec 5mo agoTook me some time to search. This is a limited Edition and only 650 unit will be produce and sold worldwide. Pricing at 99,000 JPY, or about $630 USD I saw it and I thought this looks really nice and I could buy one and have it for life. Was expecting to spend up to $300 for it already, but $630 and limited edition means I will probably never be able to have one. Another question, does anyone know of a website where they publish news about these sort of products. Looking at home appliances, or basic every day products but are well built to be point of luxury.
- jkestner 5mo agoTools and Toys, or Uncrate, might have started out like this but seem to be more platforms for “brand stories” and just fresh new luxury gadgets. If you start a blog like this to fill in the gap, I’ll follow!
- ksec 5mo agoThank You for those site. I wish I have the time to start a blog like that. If anything one of my dreams / idea is to actually open an online store and only sell these gadgets.
- Infernal 5mo agoOn top of that, they’re all sold out and the cheapest I can find any reseller is $1200+ USD
- NetMageSCW 5mo agoSurprised the went with an only 95 year old lacquer company, in Japan I imagine you could find one much, much older.
- twic 5mo agoWhat is going on with Japanese lacquer at the moment? There's this. There's the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition [1]. The V&A opened an exhibition on it last weekend [2]. The Times had a puff piece on it a few months ago [3]. Is urushi suddenly cool? If so, why? Did the Urushi Marketing Board decide to have a big push, pull some strings, and now it's everywhere? I'm not complaining at all, just mildly puzzled. As it happens, i saw the exhibition at the V&A today. It's decent, but small. Has a bunch of artefacts, and then some videos of some of the artists working, which are interesting. [1] https://www.msi.com/Business-Productivity/Prestige-13-AI-plus-ukiyo-e-Edition-A2VMX https://www.msi.com/Business-Productivity/Prestige-13-AI-plu... [2] https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/urushi-now-contemporary-japanese-lacquer https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/urushi-now-contemporary-ja... [3] https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/luxury/article/the-ancient-japanese-artform-having-a-glossy-makeover-times-luxury-bjnt522nh https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/luxury/article/the-ancie...
- notagoodidea 5mo agoUrushi has been going through a revival in fountain pen and watches (dials) the last five years. There is also more and more amateurs having access to urushi and learning it as a hobby.
- vivzkestrel 5mo ago- if you stop using a calculator, you ll become good at math - just like how you ll become good at coding if you stopped using an llm (for most of it atleast) - i am not saying this to trigger anyone. i am speaking from personal experience - 6 months ago i stopped using calculators to add, subtract, multiply and my abilities have sharpened slowly and steadily - initially i had trouble adding / subtracting 3 digit numbers - i have slowly come to the point where i can do 6 digit numbers now without a calculator and pretty fast - obviously i wont be able to prove that here because people ll think i am using tools to paste the answer but if were to meet in real life like ever, you would be absolutely blown away by how fast i can math - was at the bank the other day, the bank manager had a mini heart attack when i calculated the 8.5% interest rate on the 1st year precisely before he could use his calculator - seriously give it a try. start with 2 digit numbers addition / subtraction for the next entire week and slowly up your game. it ll help you immensely