HP Forum Archive 11

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They are remanufacturing this Classic 1977 Calculator Message #1 Posted by NH on 2 Apr 2003, 6:15 p.m. HP, finally recognizing the un-beatable layout and fit & finish of various late 1970's calculators, has finally agree'd to start a limited re-manufacturing run of this 1977 model: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3124723083&category=1185 A representative from executive relations stated: "HP built user-friendly calculators with very powerful mathematics features in the late 1970s. But for remanufacture in 2003 with SAT scores and math aptitudes having declined significantly, we chose a calculator of the classic vintage but suitable for today's math aptitudes nationwide". eBay #3124723083

Poll: Revive which 1970's Calculator? Message #2 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 2 Apr 2003, 8:51 p.m., in response to message #1 by NH I remember that one. It never worked for me, though. But since there's no way to key in numbers, I guess it didn't need an ENTER key either. But semi-seriously now, suppose by some kind of magic, HP decided to remanufacture one of it's 1970's calculators. Which one should it be? No "updates" allowed to the machine's design. (I'd vote for the 29C with the 25C as a second choice. Woodstock ergonimics just can't be beat!) - Michael

The hp 55. Message #3 Posted by Jeremy on 2 Apr 2003, 10:23 p.m., in response to message #2 by Michael F. Coyle To me, it had the right mix of very useful features, and the keypad wasn't too cluttered or busy. The quartz timer was just the icing on the cake. You said late 70s, I know. This one was introduced in the early-mid 70s, but was produced through 1977, which is late. So there. ;) -Jeremy

Re: The hp 55. Message #4 Posted by Masao Kinoshita on 3 Apr 2003, 5:28 p.m., in response to message #3 by Jeremy The HP 55 died prematurely. If The Woz and company hadn't stuffed programmability into HP 25, the 55 would have lived longer. The original scope for the 25 didn't included programming. Don't get me wrong, I think The Woz did a great thing! :-) BTW, the HP 41C *was* introduced in the late 70s, 1979 to be exact. That's my vote, the HP 41C. And _they_ might as well give it five times the memory of the 41C and call it the 41C5, but use the Roman numeral for 5, i.e., 41CV! ;-)

Re: The hp 55. Message #5 Posted by Ernie Malaga (Miami) on 3 Apr 2003, 9:09 p.m., in response to message #4 by Masao Kinoshita >If The Woz and company hadn't stuffed programmability into HP 25, the 55 would have lived longer. The original scope for the 25 didn't included programming. Don't get me wrong, I think The Woz did a great thing! The Woz? Are we talking about the same person here? "The Woz" is what Apple Computer personnel (and Macintosh fans) call Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple Computer (along with Steve Jobs). If you're talking about the same person, how did Wozniak end up having decision powers over Hewlett-Packard calculators? As far as I know, there has never been any link between Apple and HP, except as far as HP's printers is concerned. -Ernie

Re: The hp 55. Message #6 Posted by John K. (US) on 3 Apr 2003, 11:07 p.m., in response to message #5 by Ernie Malaga (Miami) Woz worked for HP for a while during the mid 70's before leaving to work full-time for Apple. IIRC, he sold his HP 45 (and Steve Jobs sold his VW Bus) to raise the initial capital to begin producing the Apple I. Steve Jobs worked for Atari for a while prior to starting Apple, and he and Woz (probably more the latter) designed the original "Break Out" arcade game.

Re: The hp 55. Message #7 Posted by Ernie Malaga (Miami) on 4 Apr 2003, 1:37 a.m., in response to message #6 by John K. (US) John: One learns something new every day! Thanks for the information. It's pretty interesting. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so amazed at the news, considering that both Apple and HP are in the same geographical area and both make electronic products. -Ernie

Re: The hp 55. Message #8 Posted by John K. (US) on 4 Apr 2003, 3:03 a.m., in response to message #7 by Ernie Malaga (Miami) Ernie, For some additional insight into Woz's sideline "activities" while working for HP, you may want to read this HP Memories article by Andrew Burg.

Re: The hp 55. Message #9 Posted by Masao Kinoshita on 7 Apr 2003, 4:56 p.m., in response to message #8 by John K. (US) I apologize for not checking the Forum for a while. Yes, both HP Advanced Products Division (APD) and Apple were in Cupertino, California (USA). I think I heard about The Woz and the HP 25 from Paul Ceruzzi. Paul works at the Smithsonian Institution. Thanks.

Re: Poll: Revive which 1970's Calculator? Message #10 Posted by db(martinez,california) on 2 Apr 2003, 11:16 p.m., in response to message #2 by Michael F. Coyle imho: 70's 80's or 90's - it's all the same. the 41 is one of the three or four finest implements ever designed by the eye and hand of man. for one example; there were a few calculators which like the 41 were powerful and reliable enough to be used for air and sea navigation. one was even a ti. the list of calculators trusted to fly spacecraft gets real short. and if you don't like something about the 41 then stroke the user key and change it. i just got one with a standard applications book and i'm in love. guess it shows.

but what if its not the same ? Message #11 Posted by Norm on 3 Apr 2003, 12:05 a.m., in response to message #10 by db(martinez,california) Well, in addition to the 6-button special that is in fact being remanufactured, my vote is that they should re-manufacture the HP-34C. The HP-34C is on-par with something Biblical, like, handed down thru the clouds to Moses. MEANWHILE, about that re-manufacture, as a topic, they do re-manufacture gadgets from time-to-time, but the remanufactured version is often strikingly inferior to the original. So, what if its not the same ? ---------->>> I bought one of those "Mattel Football" games that has been remanufactured. Despite obviously higher complexity, they changed the display all around, maintaining outward appearances but different by design. The original used real LED's, dirt-cheap little segments to represent the game. The new one (presumably since there aren't any more LED's) is actually based upon an LCD. There are continuously illuminated "backlighting" red LED's. The LCD ports thru an obviously tiny fraction of that energy, by letting a bit of light thru where the LED's were supposed to be. For all that stinkin' foolin' around, they could've just remanufactured the genuine item. BUT NOOOO they had to build it with an LCD, because presumably they could just download the computer file to "NIPPON CUSTOM LCD FACTORY" by using the internet, and be real lazy, and not figure out how to actually build anything. So, it really doesn't act quite the same. And on my unit, if you rub your finger over the plastic, it will temporarily "erase" the whole display due to static charge having an overwhelming effect on the LCD. For these reasons, if you want one of those 6-button Mattel Classic Calculators, you'd be well-advised to go seek an original. Mr. Grubby Enron MoneyBux can't even replicate his own recipe for success in this and many other situations.

41C and NASA Message #12 Posted by frank on 4 Apr 2003, 4:10 p.m., in response to message #10 by db(martinez,california) And speaking of 41C and space, Since I am working with NASA currently part time, I had this web page marked, can't recall if Dave has a link to it or not. See: http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/dsh/artifacts/GC-hewlett-.htm

Never gonna happen Message #13 Posted by Mike on 3 Apr 2003, 4:21 p.m., in response to message #2 by Michael F. Coyle Why do you think they stopped making them? Cost! Successive models came out because they could be made cheaper.

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