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HP Forum Archive 13

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Quality of 1982 15c vs. 1988 15c
Message #1 Posted by Jim B on 16 Nov 2003, 10:00 a.m.

I was just wondering if the 15c's made around 1988 or '89 (toward the end of the Voyagers production run) were made as high quality as the earliest ones? I was basically wondering if HP started cutting corners as time went on, or if all the 15c's were made exactly the same (and as high in quality) thru 1989?

Edited: 17 Nov 2003, 12:29 p.m. after one or more responses were posted

      
Re: early 15c vs. late 15c
Message #2 Posted by Randy Sloyer on 16 Nov 2003, 4:59 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Jim B

IMO, quality (fit and finish) was the same.

      
Re: early 15c vs. late 15c
Message #3 Posted by David Brunell on 16 Nov 2003, 5:45 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Jim B

As near as I can tell, the major cost-cutting on the Voyager series didn't occur until around 1994. I have two 12c's, one from 1993 and the other from 1995, both made in Singapore. The '93 unit has double-shot keys and is otherwise every bit as good as the early Voyagers, while the '95 model has painted-on legends. The blue g-function legends are nearly impossible to read.

            
Re: early 15c vs. late 15c
Message #4 Posted by jose goncalves (Brasil) on 16 Nov 2003, 7:12 p.m.,
in response to message #3 by David Brunell

Talking about cutting corners, is it possible that HP went through the same internal revision process of the 12C ? I remember that the first 12C had 3 chips, then only 2 and then only one, even before Kinpo. The LCD assembly went through a major revision also.

I donīt have that many 15C to disassemble and check and, for sure, the 15C didnīt last that long in production, anyway.

                  
Re: early 15c vs. late 15c
Message #5 Posted by Randy Sloyer on 16 Nov 2003, 11:43 p.m.,
in response to message #4 by jose goncalves (Brasil)

Yes, the last 15C's to be built had one chip. They very much followed the evolution of the 12C.

                        
Re: early 15c vs. late 15c
Message #6 Posted by Erin C on 19 Nov 2003, 7:52 p.m.,
in response to message #5 by Randy Sloyer

So, is it better to have 3 chips or does it mean nothing? Is the 1 chip 15c just as good? Besides this, weren't they made exactly the same? I have used both and can't tell if the keyboards or lcd's are any different? I would have to think that a newer 15c would last longer, just because it is newer and therefore its parts won't degrade as soon as the earlier 15c's.


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