The Monroe Difference: A Life-Long Investment

It’s hard to part with your best fitting jeans or completely falling apart house slippers that your dog mistakenly thought was his toy. They just feel good, worn in (not out).

Many customers feel the same toward their Monroe calculator. It might have been with them for 10 or 20 years. They knew exactly where every key was located and the feel of the keyboard beneath their fingertips. But at some point, even a Monroe will find its point of no repair.

So far this sounds like a sad story, right? Happily, it is not; there is a solution. Unlike finding those perfect house slippers that felt so good but are no longer made, Monroe understands your new calculator must feel good and familiar.

To that end, Monroe has not changed the basic keyboard layout since our first electronic printing calculator in 1971. So the keys you use frequently will always be in the same place. The feel of the keys, however, has been very difficult to maintain. The reason is quite simple: keyswitch technology has changed dramatically. Remember your first IBM Keyboard? 

Rubber sheet which lies beneath the keyboard (left). The small black dots underneath make contact with the printed circuit board (right).

Beneath the keyboard of most calculators made today lies a plastic membrane sheet. Protrusions on the sheet correspond to a key on the keyboard. When the key is pressed, contact is made with the protrusion, which in turn makes contact with the printed circuit board that causes the key to be recognized. Since the protrusion exists on the sheet, additional resistance is encountered, meaning the touch is heavier than it might be if the sheet were not there. 

The individual rubber domes exist as part of the keyswitch (left). The black dot (center of each dome) makes contact with the circuit board (right). 

Without the rubber sheet, resistance is greatly decreased.

Today's model uses IKT, Individual Keyswitch Technology. IKT simply means there’s no rubber membrane, instead each key is outfitted with its own rubber dome. This makes the touch of the Monroe UltimateX light and fast. This same Keyswitch technology was originally used on our 3100 and 4100 series calculators, among our most popular models. We’re the only company to maintain this technology, because we know how it feels to lose your favorite pair of slippers or old Monroe calculator.

This is another example of Monroe’s commitment to calculators and the individuals who use them. Just try not to let your dog get ahold of your new calculator!