Re: Same model calculators manufactured in different countries Message #2 Posted by Randy Sloyer(US) on 28 Jan 2003, 6:06 a.m., in response to message #1 by Nick Nicholas
The reason the buttons on the 17Bii and 32Sii are no longer shiny is because they changed the design of the actual keytop to reduce costs. The original USA and Singapore manufactured units had "double-shot" keytops, where the white legend was a molded piece which was placed inside a second mold and the brown material was molded around it. Technically, this would have been a single mold, but the illustration is better with two separate molds. These means that the key legends can never be worn or scratched off, as the white is plastic embedded within the brown.
The newer machines have matte tops because the legends are printed with process known as sublimation. It's best to think of the ink as an acid based product which etches itself into the plastic. The matte finish is required to get the ink to bond better to the plastic. I don't think I need to explain what can happen to a printed keytop.
With the exception of the 19Bii (I don't have any to check), I know that all calcs you listed are currently using printed keytops. Most Pioneers and the 48 series have been made in the USA, Singapore and finally Indonesia. The 48 was moved to China along with the 12C, at which point the Pioneer line ceased production. So, look for a USA or Singapore unit if you want double-shot keytops. The keyboards from the Indonesian units also have the nasty habit of sometimes clicking, that is one or more keys on some calculators will emit a loud, uncharacteristic click upon release. This is most annoying and must be a process or part variation introduced in the last few years of production.
|