The OG 506 and its current form.

First time actually seeing an original Sharp EL-506P. I'd picked up the clone on the right earlier this year in a random stationers shop in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, the OG Sharp is having some trouble showing digits – most of them seem a bit mangled, but I think the underlying logic is working normally.

This Sharp EL-506P is tiny BTW, and beautifully made. I think it's an aluminium front plate, and it's got some weight for its size. The digit keys might even be double-shot, I will need to look closer. The smaller scientific buttons almost look like they are metal buttons – certainly have a metallic look. It's also very fast, seemingly faster than the clone.

It's so small I should put a comparison shot next to its modern descendent, the EL-W506T.

I can now see why this calculator was so desirable in its time – it's a very complete package, small and slim, and feels really well made. 1984 -> 2026 and still going!