The Museum of HP Calculators

HP Forum Archive 10

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HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #1 Posted by Chris(FLA) on 14 Jan 2003, 8:14 p.m.

Look closely at this picture. This is something that we won't see anymore, Or even hope to see from HP.

This is both interesting and depressing.

Chris

      
thanks for the Shuttle pic
Message #2 Posted by db(martinez,california) on 14 Jan 2003, 8:42 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris(FLA)

i coppied it to show people when they ask why do you use that "old school" thing?

      
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #3 Posted by olivier on 14 Jan 2003, 8:47 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris(FLA)

Hi,

This picture is absolutly impressive in terms of its power to remind us the level at which these machine were appreciated.

nice finding!

How did you get it , is it possible to get it with a better resolution? (I would like to do a poster with it!)

Olivier

            
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #4 Posted by Daniel Kekez on 14 Jan 2003, 11:46 p.m.,
in response to message #3 by olivier

I'm sure this link has been posted here before, but it seemed relevant to repost. It includes a photograph of Sally Ride and HPs on the flight deck of the space shuttle, and it describes how important these calculators were to the Shuttle Program:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/dsh/artifacts/GC-hewlett-.htm

            
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #5 Posted by Chris(FLA) on 15 Jan 2003, 8:31 p.m.,
in response to message #3 by olivier

How did you get it , is it possible to get it with a better resolution? (I would like to do a poster with it!)

I grabed the image with my TV card in my PC. The largest picture I can grab with it is what you see (640x480). Sorry I can't get better resolution.

I grabed the image from a 12" laser disc(anyone remember those?) from the IMAX movie "The Dream is Alive".

I setup my player the other night and was watching the disc and spotted the 41's in 2 shots. The other shot I grabed is darker and you can't see the 41's as well. I grabed a bunch of shots of each one.

If anyone wants to keep the pic grab it soon as I will have to take it off my web page soon. I don't know how many hits I will get on it and I have a cap on how many I am allowed.

I am happy you liked it. I was happy to see them. When I pointed it out to my wife she gave me a look and said. "Only you would see that" :)

Chris

      
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #6 Posted by Johnny Bjoern Rasmussen on 15 Jan 2003, 9:19 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris(FLA)

Very nice picture. I would also like to have som more pictures like this...

      
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #7 Posted by Renato on 15 Jan 2003, 3:54 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Chris(FLA)

I remember seeing a exposition of a HP calc from NASA at Washington DC Smithsonian Museum. Did anyone take a picture of this ? I didn't (or did I ? I have to dig old photos). Even better: anyone at DC area would be willing to pay admission at the Smithsonian, take a picture and post it here ? Of course I can't assure the exposition is still there...

            
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #8 Posted by S. Martin on 15 Jan 2003, 8:17 p.m.,
in response to message #7 by Renato

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC does in fact have a 41CV in a display case in the exhibit 'Beyond The Limits'. This is a permanent exhibit that depicts the role of computers in the development of aviation and space flight. The 41 and a picture of Sally Ride make up the display which I took pictures of several years ago (but I was there just two months ago and the exhibit has not changed). If I can get them uploaded to the hpmuseum I will provide links in a response to this thread.

By the way, on the entrance to the exhibit you can see a very used looking HP35 (ver.2).

                  
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #9 Posted by Michael Meyer on 15 Jan 2003, 11:43 p.m.,
in response to message #8 by S. Martin

I'll have to look, but I have pictures of the HP calcs, both at the Air and Space Museum, and at the computer display at the Smithsonian.

I actually began collecting calculators after spotting some HP's on eBay and my subsequent visit to the Smithsonian.

It was what made me want to collect!!!

Michael

                  
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #10 Posted by S. Martin on 16 Jan 2003, 7:27 p.m.,
in response to message #8 by S. Martin

As promised, here are two pictures of the HP 41 display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC:

                        
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #11 Posted by Renato on 16 Jan 2003, 9:43 p.m.,
in response to message #10 by S. Martin

Thatīs it ! Just like I remember. IMO it deserves an article at the forum archive. If we can have a panorama view of the exposition at the museum it would be useful for those who have never been to the Smithsonian. The environment is remarkable (space suits, rockets, space modules,etc), and it provides a sense of how HP calculator technology is related to the space technology. The HP-35 exhibit would be a nice addition to the article? I would do it myself, but the Museum is not exactly around the corner for me ;-). Great pics - are they digital or scanned ?

                              
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #12 Posted by Renato on 16 Jan 2003, 10:30 p.m.,
in response to message #11 by Renato

This has been posted before, I know : http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/dsh/artifacts/GC-hewlett.htm

It tells the history of this calculator (the very one at the museum) and how NASA used HP-41. Also, it tells the history of the 41C time module, which makes this module *the* most significant module in historical importance.

There is a reference to: Keith Jarett, "HP 41 in Orbit," Personal Computing (October/November 1984), pp. 50-54. PC August 1998

Does anyone have access to this magazine ?

                              
Re: HP41C on the Shuttle
Message #13 Posted by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) on 16 Jan 2003, 10:33 p.m.,
in response to message #11 by Renato

Hi;

I'd like to see, I've never been at the Smithsonian... In fact, I have never been anywhere but a few Brazilian cities. But this is not the subject, here. I'd like very much to "see" what's going on out there.

Cheers.


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