I have a few Casio and Sharp "BASIC"-calculators in this form factor. They are very useful indeed and even rival HPs in usability. But, for some reason, Casio screws things up with their "modes" and numbered program. The Sharps are much better in this regard, integrating the calc function with the programming function by assigning programs to keys (in a better way, that is. Of course the Casio also has program assigned to keys).
I don't think the BASIC is related to Microsoft, at least the Sharp models (even if I have a few Casio BASIC-calcs I don't use them often enough to remember), but there is a way to test this. One *very* good feature is computable DATA-statements. In Microsoft BASIC (all of them), all DATA-lines can hold is constant numbers or text. In Sharps (and I suspect, Casios) BASIC, you can have a formula in a DATA-statement. This means that things like a unit converter can be programmed in very elegantly. Another quirk is that "LET" is mandatory in assignments after IF-statements.
As far as I remember, I have seen three different clock speeds in those calculators, 900 kHz, 1,25 MHz and "don't-remember-but-over-1 MHz". The irregular hole on the back side is either for docking with a thermoprinter/tape station or a missing tilting bail. Most likely for docking.
These (especially Sharps physically smallest models) are among the most useful calculators ever made, even rivaling HPs Voyage- and Pioneer series (which may be the greatest calculators known to man).
It's a good thing you didn't do an destructive tear down! The FX730P will still give years of useful life!
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