HP Forum Archive 15

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #1 Posted by Bob on 2 June 2005, 10:54 a.m. I don't know if this is common, but I was in a Walmart a couple of days ago and saw a half dozen blister-packed 33s's in the calculator section hanging on a display. This is not a high-tech area and it is in a relatively small town. I assumed that we would be among the last to receive this type of merchandise. I was surprised, but my quick thinking family picked one up for me for Father's day, so I'll try it out soon. I had considered ordering one over the net, but really wanted to see one in person before deciding. Just thought people might want to know.

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #2 Posted by Dave Shaffer on 2 June 2005, 11:21 a.m., in response to message #1 by Bob Bob, Don't want to spoil the glow of your Father's Day present, but do you remember what WalMart is charging for the calculator?

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #3 Posted by EL on 2 June 2005, 12:45 p.m., in response to message #2 by Dave Shaffer San Diego WalMart has restocked 33s' too. ~50$US EL

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #4 Posted by Bob on 2 June 2005, 12:52 p.m., in response to message #2 by Dave Shaffer Yes, it was something like $49.95 I looked around and most that were lower on the 'net also required additional cost for shipping. ...and I couldn't see it ahead of purchase. ...and I would have had to wait. ...and if there is something wrong with it, Wally-world will take it back or exchange it.

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #5 Posted by Norris on 2 June 2005, 5:58 p.m., in response to message #1 by Bob Sighting confirmed. The 33S is also at my local Wal-Mart, in a relatively low-tech and isolated corner of California, for $49.97. They also had a HP-10BII. This significantly expands the retail presence of the 33S in my part of the world. Until now, the only other local store that stocked the 33S was a university bookstore in a neighboring county. I doubt that the 33S was carried at any other outlet within a 100-mile radius. The university bookstore still appears to have the local monopoly on the 49G+ and 48GII.

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #6 Posted by Bob on 2 June 2005, 7:24 p.m., in response to message #5 by Norris Yeah, mine also had the HP10BII, but these are pretty common in the Staples/OfficeMax/etc stores around here. I guess I was so surprised that I forgot to mention it.

Re: HP33S -- with tiny decimal point? Message #7 Posted by Paul Brogger on 2 June 2005, 9:57 p.m., in response to message #1 by Bob Ditto all for my local Wal-Mart (Olympia, WA). One thing I didn't check -- do they still have the microscopic decimal point? I'll look the next time I'm in the store.

Re: HP33S -- with tiny decimal point? Message #8 Posted by John Smitherman on 2 June 2005, 10:10 p.m., in response to message #7 by Paul Brogger My 33s (s/n 417) has a microscopic decimal point and comma however a colleague's 33s (s/n 428)has a full sized decimal point and comma. I'm interested to know what others are seeing. Regards, John

Re: HP33S -- with tiny decimal point? Message #9 Posted by Richard Garner on 2 June 2005, 10:25 p.m., in response to message #8 by John Smitherman The Wal-Mart here in Texarkana AR and Texarkana TX have the HP33s as well. I got one just to play with S/N 430 and it has the same 1 pixel decimal as all the others.

Do you mean... (was: HP33S -- with tiny decimal point?) Message #10 Posted by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) on 2 June 2005, 11:26 p.m., in response to message #8 by John Smitherman ... the newer HP33S has a full-character radix mark & thousands separator, like the HP42S or, as a simple comparison, the HP67/97 and the Classics? Wow! if so, that's good news, indeed! And this also validates the extra full-character dot and comma I draw in my HP33S TTF file! Thanks for the good news. Cheers. Luiz (Brazil) Edited: 3 June 2005, 12:09 a.m.

Re: Do you mean... (was: HP33S -- with tiny decimal point?) Message #11 Posted by Andy Cambridge on 3 June 2005, 8:39 a.m., in response to message #10 by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) Guys, In the UK the calculator is advertised online at £54.95 (approx $100)- and the picture of it had no sign of a decimal point! Regards, Andy

33S decimal point fixed? How about bugs? Message #12 Posted by Matt Kernal on 3 June 2005, 12:58 p.m., in response to message #8 by John Smitherman Hi John, So your collegues' 33S has a real deciminal point and thousands separator (comma)? I'm curious if his calculator still produces the previously discovered bugs? Can you let us know? Matt

Re: 33S decimal point fixed? How about bugs? Message #13 Posted by bill on 3 June 2005, 1:57 p.m., in response to message #12 by Matt Kernal and http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/archv014.cgi?read=64594

Re: 33S decimal point fixed? How about bugs? Message #14 Posted by John Smitherman on 3 June 2005, 6:36 p.m., in response to message #12 by Matt Kernal The r -> p, hr -> hms, and nCr bugs are still present in my colleagues 33s (s/n 428). I stopped by WalMart this morning and found 33s's with s/n 432 and 442 which were indicated on the outside of the blister pack all of which had enlarged decimal points and commas. HP seems to have listened to user's feedback on this one issue. However, we still don't know if and when HP plans to fix the bugs. I find myself using my 33s more and more. Regards, John

Re: HP33S -- with tiny decimal point? Message #15 Posted by Mike Sebastian on 6 June 2005, 8:00 p.m., in response to message #8 by John Smitherman I also purchased a 33s at Walmart recently. It is a s/n 432 and appears to have a larger decimal point and comma than my s/n 404.

Re: HP33S -- with tiny decimal point? Message #16 Posted by Frank on 4 June 2005, 9:05 p.m., in response to message #7 by Paul Brogger I have sn # CNA41700250, purchased at Amazon numerous months ago, small decimal point.

Re: HP33S -- with not-quite-so-tiny decimal point Message #17 Posted by Paul Brogger on 6 June 2005, 1:21 p.m., in response to message #7 by Paul Brogger Just looked again. In a side-by-side comparison, each of the three examples on display (s/n's CNA 432nnnnn & 435nnnnn) had a slightly larger decimal point than an earlier model (s/n CN404nnnnn). The d.p. isn't as large as I would like, but is at least significantly more legible -- about as large as one of the pixels in the numeric grids. I don't have time to test the bugs, but will later. FYI

Re: HP33S -- with tiny decimal point? Message #18 Posted by Bob on 9 June 2005, 9:41 a.m., in response to message #7 by Paul Brogger After using my new HP33S for a few days, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. The keypad works well, the readout is clear and it the layout does not even affect me at all. It took a few minutes to get used to the location of the enter key, but not long. I swap back and forth between calcs all the time anyway. The size of my decimal point appears to be the larger of the two. The comma is definately bigger. Either way, I keep track of where it is in my head and if I really want to confirm it's location, it is not too bad. Not perfect, but it costs less than the HP42S that I paid $95 for 12 years ago. There are three things I would change: - Make the decimal point even larger. It would make it more appealing. - It could feel "heftier". It is really light. - ...and, I now have this annoying Algebraic entry habit from using the TI-36's ! (actually, when using any calculator other than my 48GX)

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #19 Posted by bazfum on 3 June 2005, 10:16 p.m., in response to message #1 by Bob The Wal-Mart in Kirkwood, MO had a few last week when I was there, and they were all sold out when I went to point them out to my wife as a potential father's day gift today. Hopefully that will be a good sign to the management there!

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #20 Posted by unspellable on 6 June 2005, 12:34 p.m., in response to message #19 by bazfum The management at Wally World is oblivious to what sells.

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #21 Posted by Stephen P Walker on 7 June 2005, 3:29 p.m., in response to message #20 by unspellable The managment at the stores have no clue (about what sells), but the second you buy something at Wal-Mart, the main computers in Bentonville know about it. I hope they sell reasonably well, it would be nice to have new RPN Calculators available when I take the PE exam a couple of years from now. Either that or relaxed standards for the exam so I can use my 32sii. But that's another thread. If they don't sell well, on the bright side, maybe I can get a 33s on clearance next year like I did several years ago when I purchased my 20s at Wal-Mart for $9.99.

Re: HP33S in Walmart Stores Message #22 Posted by Ed Look on 6 June 2005, 5:58 p.m., in response to message #19 by bazfum Yeah, I saw a bunch in a New York area Wal-Mart... ... but no more rebate, though. But it may be worth it still, as I hear that the decimal point got a little bigger.

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

Go back to the main exhibit hall