Olivetti Logos 7 Printing Calculator

Back in the 1970's the Italian firm Olivetti built office gear with a distinct design ethos.  Everything they made had a futuristic slant to it... and I do mean "slant".  Designer Mario Bellini imbued many of Olivetti's signature pieces with a distinctive wedge shape.  The bold silhouettes of many of his designs still look dramatic today.

This is the Logos 7 from 1975, an early example of a pocket sized printing calculator.  Besides contributing to the sleek look of the calculator, the wedge shape also made it easier to slip the unit in and out of pockets without getting snagged.  This unit also features a fluorescent display in addition to the printer - many of the calculators of the day only had one or the other.

It's easy to ask why one would imbue such a mundane appliance with such a high degree of design.  Many people have to stare at their calculator for hours at a time, isn't it better for it to look sharp while doing it's job?  I also think that it looks so good, that you might let it live on your desktop (this would look pretty slick next to a nice laptop, or maybe even an iMac?) rather than relegating it to the murk of your desk drawer.