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HP Forum Archive 14

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HP-65 brochure
Message #1 Posted by RMillán on 5 July 2004, 8:40 p.m.

Hi, all!

As the proud winner of a digital copy of the HP-65 brochure (see Valentín's recent 15C challenge), I have read it today thoroughly, and cannot help making here some comments:

Look at the outfit they bundled the 65 with:

  1. rechargeable batteries and charger,
  2. soft carrying case,
  3. Owner's Handbook,
  4. Quick Reference Guide,
  5. a Standard Application programs pack in magnetic cards (with the corresponding handbook),
  6. a set of 20 blank magnetic cards,
  7. a pad of 50 letter-size program forms,
  8. a set of 20 blank "pocket instruction cards", which would fit inside the carrying case, and each one being able to hold and protect two cards, and providing a sort of "mini-form" to write down short program instructions, and
  9. a safety travel case, of high impact plastic, with room for the calculator inside its soft case, the charger, manuals and cards.
I will not elaborate on this. The list speaks by itself.

But it is not just that they made a very good bundle, also you were fully able to learn the exact details from the brochure. And, better, you could nearly learn to program the HP-65 from the very same brochure! So thorough and well done it was.

I don't remember for sure, but it's likely that it was a brochure of similar quality which made me save three months of wages (it was my very first and very badly paid job) to purchase a 41C.

You know, not just calculators are not made today as they were.

Best regards from
Rafael Millán.

PS: Curiously, the 65 brochure is dated on 7/74, exactly 30 years ago.

      
Re: HP-65 brochure
Message #2 Posted by Valentin Albillo on 6 July 2004, 10:05 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by RMillán

Hi all,

Those interested to know what the HP-65 brochure Rafael's commenting looks like can have a look at it at this URL:

My Web Sites

Just click on the Calculator Pages link, then scroll down the page to the Brochures section.

As for comments, this is mine: looking at this brochure is kind of a sweet-sour experience. You get all too reminded of past HP's glorious times, when quality was paramount. This magnificent brochure oozes HP's genuine pride and enthusiasm for their product, the whole proceedings exude quality. Just have a look at the images: scientists, engineers, architects, cutting-edge professionals in a word, all of them feeling the pride in owning and using and enjoying that superb USA-designed, USA-engineered, USA-made tool.

Compare this to the fledgling teenager student who casts an indifferent glance at that low-quality, China-made lump of plastic called HP33S, refurbished with the weird keyboard and garish colors in a vain attempt to draw said students' attention, to lure them into buying that cheap gizmo, manufactured at the lowest possible cost whatever the resulting quality or lack thereof.

Worlds apart, uh ? Those were the days ...

Best regards from V.

            
Re: HP-xx brochures
Message #3 Posted by Bram on 6 July 2004, 4:36 p.m.,
in response to message #2 by Valentin Albillo

Should you invest in learning Dutch, you'll be rewarded being able to read these beautiful brochures from only a few years later than the HP-65's, but equally great. I too choosed to purchase Woodstocks because the brochures exactly told me what to expect. And which came true.
Oh, I wish I'd taken many more brochures then. Calcs were expensive, brochures were free.

            
Re: HP-65 brochure
Message #4 Posted by Pierre Brial on 9 July 2004, 2:58 a.m.,
in response to message #2 by Valentin Albillo

Thank you Valentin for these nice documents.

I wonder why they put "computer" between quotes...too much shyness from HP. For me the HP 65 is the first personal computer.

I wonder why computer historians make all this fuss for the Altair, and completely underlook the HP 65. Was not the HP 65 released before the Altair ?

Furthermore, I don't think it was possible to do anything usefull with the Altair.

All the Best

Pierre Brial


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