IME S.p.A. PHOTO ARCHIVE | TrailingEdge Tech

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MoTET is an Open-Archive Site Devoted to Research Into The Origins of Personal Computing

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. . . and Preserving Yesterday's Technology, for Tomorrow.

Dr. Massimo Rinaldi invented the IME 84, which is arguably the first fully-transistorized electronic desktop calculator (see photos below). When Dr. Rinaldi was not adding to his some 60 patents, or making corporate-level decisions, he was engaged in underwater photography, amateur radio and collecting antiques.

Source: Prabook.com (world biographical encyclopedia)

https://prabook.com/web/massimo.rinaldi/268648

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*Other contenders for "first" are the Friden 130 (EC-130), the Sharp Compet (CS-10A), the Mathatronics Mathatron 4-24, and the WYLE Scientific (WS-01).

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IME 84 Prototype (pre-production model)
Source: Mr. L. Beaugrand

IME 84 electronic calculators exhibited at the 2nd SMAU at the Milan Fair - 9/24/1965
"The SMAU (Salone Machinery and Equipment for the Office) is the leading trade fair Italian dedicated to information and communication technologies. It was first held in 1964."
Source: Wikipedia

In 1964 "SMAU, the Office Machinery and Equipment Exhibition is born: the first edition showcased 250 exhibitors and was visited by 9,432 people."

IME 84 system of electronic calculators exhibited at the 2nd SMAU at (1965 Office Equipment Machine Exibition) at the Milan Fair (9/24/1965)

IME exhibit at the Exhibition of Italian Industry that was held in Moscow in 1968 (9/5/1968 to 9/18/1968). The event was nearly boycotted after the Soviet-led military intervened in Czechoslovakia. "In August 1968, a few weeks before the inauguration of the Exhibition, events took place in Czechoslovakia that would have far-reaching effects in the West and particularly in Italian governmental circles. For a short while there was uncertainty about whether to go ahead with the Exhibition or to cancel it. It was decided to proceed, thanks to the insistence of Ambassador Federico Sensi and the companies participating in the exhibition, but without the Italian Government representatives, the Ambassador, or the Moscow Embassy staff. I tried unsuccessfully to stop it, and decided that instead of an official reception, Novasider would the host the reception at its own expense."
Source: "Nota autobiografica de Piero Savoretti," Page 25 & 37.

PG 103 Electronic programmer for the IME 84RC, IME 84 electronic calculator, IME 84 output system exhibited at the 2nd annual SMAU (1965 Office Equipment Machine Exhibition) at the Milan Fair: 9/24/1965 to 10/2/1965

IME S.p.A. Factory Entrance 9/20/1967 (Probably in Pomezia, Rome)

View of the IME S.p.A. factory.
(Probably in Pomezia, Rome).

This is definitely an older photograph of the factory (than the photo just prior). One might be able to estimate the time differential by studying the plants.

Presentation of the IME 26

IME 84 in use at what appears to be a car dealership or automotive company.

IME desktop system composed of the IME 86S electronic calculator and the Digicorder DG 308 programmer with magnetic memory of ferrite cores

Full air cargo shipment of electronic IME calculators

IME S.p.A. factory plant. Photo taken in 1967

IME S.p.A. factory plant. Photo taken sometime between 1967 and 1968

Pomezia; IME S.p.A. factory plant. Printed circuit board assembly line for the IME 86S electronic desktop calculators 9/20/1967

Pomezia; Assembly of components on printed circuit boards for the IME 86S electronic desktop calculators 9/20/1967

Inserting the printed circuit board when assembling an IME 86S desktop electronic calculator 9/20/1967

Assembly of components on printed circuit boards for the IME 86S electronic desktop calculators 9/20/1967

Visual inspection of components mounted on printed circuit boards for the IME 86S electronic desktop calculators 9/20/1967

Running-in bench for IME 86S electronic desktop calculators 9/20/1967

In IME 86S electronic desktop calculator on the "break-in bench."

Control of printed circuits for the IME 86S electronic desktop calculators 9/20/1967

Assembly of IME 86S electronic desktop calculators 9/20/1967

Assembly of components on printed circuit boards for the IME 86S electronic calculators 9/20/1967

Assembly line for power supplies for the IME 86S desktop electronic calculators 9/20/1967

Digicorder DG 308 RM - taken by Studio Prisma

IME modular system microcomputer IME Mobile trolly system consisting of the IME 86S, IME KB6 and IME DG 308 RM. Photo taken in 1967

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