18 October 2019

Calculatober Day 18: Astro by Kosmos - The Personal Astrological Computer

I am not a superstitious person and I've never had any interest in astrology, but when I discovered the Astro by Kosmos, I knew I had to get my hands on one. They appear on Ebay from time to time, but often are non-working or very expensive. I managed to get one for around $20, and it turned out to be everything I was hoping it would be.
Astro by Kosmos - The Personal Astrological Computer.
Right out of the box, this is one of the sleekest calculators I've ever laid eyes on. It looks like something a futuristic religious cult would use in an episode of Star Trek. It has a beautiful blue brushed aluminum face plate accentuated by many other shades of blue in the buttons, text, and display. Turning it on, you're greeted with amazing teal fluorescent digits.
In calculator mode, it only features the four basic functions: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It works just fine, and since this calculator comes from 1979, basic functionality like this wasn't uncommon in handheld calculators. Already I'd recommend it as a beautiful vintage device.
Switching to astro mode is where the more unique bits of this device's functionality are. By entering a birth date [month, day, and last two digits of the year] and pressing B1, the Kosmos will calculate the positions of the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars in the sky on that date. This takes a little while, but you can see the digits on the display flicker during the process. When it's done, you can then use this information to find the astrological characteristics a person born on this day is supposed to have.
By entering a second date and pressing B2, you can find out what astrology has to say about two different people and their compatibility with one another. The device gets even further in-depth with this by answering various questions they might have. The picture above from the manual explains it better than I can.
Sadly, I couldn't get inside this device without removing the sticker on the back. I don't want to cause any harm to this calculator given how unique and difficult to find it is.

There are other capabilities, such as daily horoscopes, but I don't particularly care about this stuff. If you're really interested in seeing all if it, I've linked a website that has its manual here.

7 comments:

  1. It is safe to say that you are an Astrology lover? Is it accurate to say that you are worn out on observing crystal gazing censured, dealt with like a toy, utilized as a conversation starter or more terrible only an approach to sit back? I find a very good website for the daily horoscope, If you want you can visit this site.

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    1. It is safe to say you didn't read the very first sentence of this post?

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    2. I own one but sadly it doesn't work anymore. I got it as a gift when I was 15. Man talking about a conversation piece flying back in forth on airplanes during that time, I would have business men, stewardess, anyone next to me. I would give them compatibility reviews and it was like I was the bum! I should have collected money my retirement would be pretty significant!

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  2. I still have my book. I would love to have another one.

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  3. I had one when I was a kid! I really loved it!

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  4. I've got one that I've had since I was a kid. It's been stored battery free and is in mint condition along with the case and manual. I found it the other day and inserted batteries, sadly nothing happened when I turned it on. I remember it being incredibly accurate with the information it provided. I'd love to get it working again. Does anybody know of how I can go about getting it repaired or who I could contact to get such information? Please get in touch. Thanks

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