Sharp Compact Cordless Paperless Business Calculator, 12-Digit Display with 5-Line Scrolling LCD and Cost, Sell and Margin Keys (EL-1501)

This review is for the compact version EL-1501. I work from home a few days a week and my desk, complete with dual monitors has little space left. I absolutely need a printing calculator as I am prone to inverting numbers. This calculator gets the job done. It’s lightweight, no power cord to get in the way, the readout is big and bright. The readout is easy to read. The secondary “paper” screen needs to be adjusted for best viewing angle though. This functions just like the office calculators I have been using for the last 40 years. The keys are large enough to use comfortably and are not too sensitive. I love the results screen that lets me review my entries. It did take me a minute to figure out how to get back to input mode after reviewing on the upper screen. Forget about trying to read the manual! It’s 1 folded page with instructions in English and Spanish. The type size is about 1/4 of that of a phone book. You’re better off downloading the PDF manual and zooming in. I like this so much I purchased a second one for my desk at the office. Since we are no longer allowed to keep anything on our desks and must clear everything off when we leave, we have to carry everything back and forth in a little caddy and store our stuff in a small locker box. This is small enough and very light so toting back and forth is a breeze. Batteries are rated to last about a year with normal use. There’s also an auto shutoff which helps. One last thing I want to address: It seems that some reviews for the larger version complain about not being able to clear the upper screen. Some have stated that you need to press the tiny reset button while others have listed magical voodoo motions to clear the screen. Not so with the smaller model. All you do is press the “2nd” key followed by the back arrow key and poof! All gone! Plus the keys are right next to each other. Maybe it works differently on the larger model. This calculator is a joy to use. It’s a bit more expensive than the compact printing calculators, but well worth it as there’s no additional ink or paper costs. I just wish it had the edit feature of its bigger brother.

PRO's --- I am most comfortable using my left hand for speedy entries as my right hand is busy on a computer or holding a pen. This calculator works especially well for left hand fast addition for accounting plus so many other functions. The dual LCD is terrific and clear with the upper screen able to record 300 entries and display them in history with forward and back buttons for double checking your work. The keys are comfortable to use and the size and layout is much like older best designs of Sharp Calculators. Cons --- Had a difficult time finding the info about how the 2nd button works as a function key that gives many keys a 2nd function. The instruction sheet is crazy tiny. I downloaded the PDF from the Sharp Website but still found it difficult to find specific details. For instance, it can turn itself off over time if unused but if you want to turn it off you need to hit a combination of the 2nd key and the C key together. That was buried somewhere unexpected in the instructions. Other than that the keys are a little sloppy with movement but accurate with good location feel non-the-less and I might opt for a slight design placement of keys due to my use of older Sharp calculators. Sharp needs to improve their instructions and especially separate the English language page from Spanish. Overall I'm significantly impressed keeping 5 stars for a great Sharp innovative product.

My front desk administrator needed a new calculator, and she wanted something with large buttons like her old calculator. Years before she had a printing calculator but put that aside. She often has to tally 30 to 40 checks and having a printing calculator can be handy. This seemed like a good compromise and between a printing and non-printing calculator, and I didn't mind spending the extra on it for a good piece of equipment for her. Unfortunately, she didn't like it. Like an adding machine, the + sign must be used at the end of summing instead of the = sign and other quirks with its operation had her frustrated with it. It was nice to have the list of entries and not have the hassle of keeping thermal paper, but it was bigger than she liked and she said she'd rather have a traditional calculator. It also required several batteries that solar calculator don't rely on. I'm giving it to my bookkeeper and will see if she likes it instead of returning it, and got my FDA a large-size, cheaper, no frills calculator that she's much happier with.

Great function with a small foot print. Just what I needed.

I love this calculator. The perfect weight, no noise, battery operated. Just so easy to carry from room to room and has a small footprint. What can I say, I love to calculate. I know phones have this function too but you can’t 10 key operate a phone. I specifically like the layout of the keys because the total key is on the far right. If I could make one change at all, it would be to improve key feel. There is too much play in the keys but that is just my preference like people who prefer clicker and non clicker keyboards.

Me encantó

I like that there is no paper but I can still get a running list. I have not figured how how to go up and down on the list to recheck, and the directions are not good. I do wish the add and subtract functions worked differently (i.e. number-number to subtract instead of number+number-). I also cannot figure out how to "clear all"...and there is a weird timer I cannot turn off. I will say, it is quiet, and the battery life seems okay. It would probably be better without the timer constantly running! All in all, it is a functional calculator, and I do not have to buy paper rolls for it. That is a plus.

Likes: Battery powered, does not need to be tethered to an outlet. Keys are large. Keys are responsive, do not stick, action is quick. Paperless printout is a great idea. I suspect other companies will copy this design. Easy to review previous entries using the paperless printout. Very compact for a desktop adding machine. It's half the size of my 25 year old Canon MP21D that it replaces. Percentages work the same as the Canon machine, i.e. 100 x 20% - = 80. Entries are the same as an adding machine, i.e. 100 + 90 + 70 - = 120. Display is bright. Dislikes: Floating, decimal places, round up are all setup by the function key labeled "2nd". I would prefer a switch for those. I can adapt. I will just need to make a cheat sheet for quick reference. Two of us in the office have used this machine for a about a week. We both love the portability of the thing. No searching for a wall outlet. I'm right handed so I keep it within reach of my right hand. The lefty that uses it can very easily move it to the other side of the desk. Battery life is an unknown at this point. If it eats batteries, I'll buy the 1.5V lithium ion rechargeable AA batteries and keep a set charged and ready to go. Sharp says about six months for one hour per day of use.

great product

Muy buena calculadora, únicamente que la tecla de igual no funciona para las operaciones de suma y resta, las cantidades se ingresan como entradas, seguidas del signo de la operación que quieras (+ ó -) Por ejemplo si quieres realizar la operación 2 más 2 menos 3, lo tradicional es oprimir las teclas así: 2 + 2 - 3 = y te da el resultado, en esta calculadora tendrías que oprimir de la siguiente forma: 2+ luego 2+ y luego 3- , y en la pantalla vas viendo el resultado. Si no estás acostumbrado a este tipo de máquina puede ser sumamente confuso.

This is such a ingenious calculator I wish I had purchased it many years ago. The LED panel displays each operation as entered on the keyboard come up without the need for irritating paper and in noises or disposable items. The keys are easy and comfortable to press. And on top of everything, it only uses two batteries and shuts itself off after maybe 10 seconds so LED functionality lasts almost forever. So this is a bit expensive as a calculator. But I use it multiple times every single day and consider it to be worth its while. Very nice engineering!

This calculator is exactly what I was looking for, it's solidly built, the screen lights up and the keys have a great "clickability". Very happy with this purchase

Does not work in the same manner as other calculators. No instructions. Does not calculate correctly