Scientific calculators became regular items in the kit of an Australian school student during the late 1970s and early 1980s. That was over 40 years ago. Casio had already been making calculating devices for a long time by then. The company started in the late 1950s, and by the 1970s, it was manufacturing small electronic, battery powered handheld scientific calculators.
The Casio fx-82 immediately became an Australian favourite, being the calculator of choice, particularly in New South Wales. The device was simple to use and accurate.
As the years passed, the functionality of the fx-82 increased, and it only ever became more popular. The Casio fx-82 remains, to this day, Australia’s highest selling scientific calculator.
During the 1990s, the Casio fx-82AU was born, a calculator created specifically for the needs of Australian examination authorities. Every few years more functions were added, and the Casio fx-82AU became the Casio fx-82AU Plus and then the Casio fx-82AU Plus II and now, the most recent model is the Casio fx-82AU Plus II 2nd edition.
Currently the Casio fx-82AU Plus II 2nd edition can perform any critical function required by either a school student, a university student, a technical worker, and a regular person at home.
The Casio fx-82AU PLUS II 2nd edition really does it all: prime factorisation, statistics calculations, random number generation, lowest common multiple, highest common factor and of course all the “simple” things, like +, –, x and ÷, trigonometry… We could go on and on.
There are big things on the horizon. As of 2023, the Casio fx-82AU Plus II 2nd edition will be joined by a new generation of scientific calculator; the Casio fx-8200AU. The new kid on the block has a lot to measure up to, but it has everything in its favour; all the tried and true mechanics of over 70 years of innovation, plus many new exciting functions.
Only time will tell if the fx-8200AU will still be in use 40 years from now and stand the test of time as well as the fx-82. If history is anything to go by, the chances are good it will.