HP Forum Archive 15

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HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #1 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 15 June 2005, 12:30 a.m. I've noticed something funny lately. First some background -- I'm in my 40's and I'm doing a career change that has sent me back to school. (I'm also a long-time lurker and occasional contributor to this forum.) So I find myself around lots of undergraduates, who seem awfully young to me :) Anyway, yesterday in lab I had my trusty HP-25 out, crunching some numbers. (I bought it about two years ago and now it's my "everyday" calculator.) One girl in class was really fascinated by it -- she had to carry it off to show the teacher. ("Look at this calculator! Check it out!") It's hard to know what the fascination was -- I think it had to do with the red LED display. She was definitely impressed by the FIX 2 display formatting, though. I wouldn't have paid much attention to this but the same thing happened last semester -- same calc, different girl. So what is going on here? Maybe it's the red LED display -- many younger people have never seen one. Or the overall shape and styling -- it's shorter but thicker than modern machines. Or maybe it's just the fact that someone in their class is using an antique -- it's older than they are. So maybe I'm on to something here. So far, it hasn't gotten me any dates, but it definitely bears watching. (Maybe I should start carrying around one of my slide rules, too!) Any thoughts? Has anyone else had a similar experience? Edited: 15 June 2005, 3:27 a.m. after one or more responses were posted

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #2 Posted by Les Bell [Sydney] on 15 June 2005, 1:57 a.m., in response to message #1 by Michael F. Coyle Well, it worked for me. I bought my girlfriend an HP-32E, and she married me. . . Later, I bought her an HP-18C to replace the 32E, which had died. Unfortunately, it died not much later, and these days she gets by with a combination of algebraic four-bangers and SPSS. Best, --- Les [http://www.lesbell.com.au]

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #3 Posted by Jonathan Watmough on 15 June 2005, 2:04 a.m., in response to message #2 by Les Bell [Sydney] You got that effect with a 25 ? Good Lord man! Do *not*, repeat do not carry a 41 in there. You might never get out. ;-) Actually, you could share around a copy of V41 ... I've replaced the diabolical calc in Windows XP with a 41 and it certainly gives my desktop some added class, plus makes adding stuff up much less tedious.

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #4 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 15 June 2005, 3:25 a.m., in response to message #3 by Jonathan Watmough Thanks for the advice. I suspect the "attractive effect" only works with a real calculator and not with a simulation. I'm not sure how well a 41 would work. With its LCD it may look too much like a modern calculator to be interesting. Further studies are required, though. (On my laptop I use a Javascript emulation of a 25-like calculator that I wrote myself. It has a few rough edges but works very well for me.) - Mixhael

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #5 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 15 June 2005, 3:18 a.m., in response to message #2 by Les Bell [Sydney] Does she have a sister?

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #6 Posted by Bob on 15 June 2005, 8:47 a.m., in response to message #2 by Les Bell [Sydney] Why not pick her up a 33S ? I really like mine. You could also get her a 49G+. They are only $78 on Amazon.com right now. That is a great price.

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #7 Posted by Mike (Stgt) on 15 June 2005, 5:46 a.m., in response to message #1 by Michael F. Coyle Yep - but it works the other way round too: few weeks ago I missed the train because the woman at the ticket counter used a HP14B. IIRC, there once was a scientific paper "Mobile Phones as Lecking Devices", how men try to attract woman by using mobile phones - they hold the more communicative in higher esteem. Now, would you please - for the pure science and the cognizance of this forum's community - make a test: hold the HP25 to your ear and start a parley about trade or so, and (if possible) report the result here. Ciao.....Mike <VBG>

What is 'Lecking'? (NT) Message #8 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 15 June 2005, 11:29 p.m., in response to message #7 by Mike (Stgt) (Still NT!)

Re: What is 'Lecking'? Message #9 Posted by Mike (Stgt) on 16 June 2005, 5:49 a.m., in response to message #8 by Michael F. Coyle Well, when I wrote the append I searched my Collins Englisch Dic., QuickDic, and Google for that word with little success. In the article it was described as similar behaviour as some birds collecting little white pebbles to lure females and other complex pairing rituals. I do not know if the expression "Lecking Device" was only used in that paper or if it is a standard technical term for any artifact with no other meaning than impressing the opposite sex. So what you describe is quite normal, alas improbably that HP's product designer will pay attention to this side effect, or one day we show an HP-43GTI with Porsche's tremulous motorsound and more advertising stunts. Ciao.....Mike Edited: 16 June 2005, 5:53 a.m.

Thanks! (NT) Message #10 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 16 June 2005, 7:38 a.m., in response to message #9 by Mike (Stgt) .

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #11 Posted by Eddie Shore on 15 June 2005, 9:32 a.m., in response to message #1 by Michael F. Coyle Though I had no one fawn over me for a calculator, everytime someone sees me using a 48 or 49G+ I always get questions about it.

Re: <My guess>HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #12 Posted by Pio on 15 June 2005, 10:55 a.m., in response to message #1 by Michael F. Coyle My 1st guess is that the color of the led display match the color of her hair. The 2nd is that 30% of the girls really are interested in older men, and of course, in his old things. Pio

Re: <My guess>HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #13 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 15 June 2005, 11:38 p.m., in response to message #12 by Pio Quote: My 1st guess is that the color of the led display match the color of her hair. Nope, brunettes all. Quote: The 2nd is that 30% of the girls really are interested in older men, and of course, in his old things. I don't honestly think that romance is in the offing here, regardless of what I might like :) Just curiosity about the old guy's calculator. Today in lab I was showing a couple of the ladies how to use their calculators. (Algebraic, formula entry.) I never knew there were so many wrong ways to enter a number in scientific notation. Today our lab instructor put a slightly wrong formula up on the board. It took us a while to debug that one -- amazing what kind of mischief ensues when you leave out a zero... - Michael

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #14 Posted by Ed Look on 15 June 2005, 11:31 a.m., in response to message #1 by Michael F. Coyle Come on, Mr. Coyle! Put your phone number on the back of your HP-25! Okay, if you must bow to hipness, scribe your cell number instead.

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #15 Posted by Chan Tran (USA) on 15 June 2005, 1:33 p.m., in response to message #14 by Ed Look I don't know but when I bought my 25, I didn't anything about calculator. I bought it because it looked good. I like the color combination as well as the color they used for the key labeling. I still like that color scheme until now. I was very dissapointed when HP changed it for the 48GX.

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #16 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 15 June 2005, 11:42 p.m., in response to message #14 by Ed Look Quote: Come on, Mr. Coyle! Put your phone number on the back of your HP-25! Okay, if you must bow to hipness, scribe your cell number instead. I don't own a cell phone yet, I guess I'll just have to use my home phone and email address. (forum@hpmuseum...just kidding) - Michael

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #17 Posted by Ed Look on 16 June 2005, 10:51 p.m., in response to message #16 by Michael F. Coyle "... I don't own a cell phone yet, I guess I'll just have to use my home phone and email address. (forum@hpmuseum...just kidding)... " Yipes! They'll never talk to you again!... ... (only solution: offer to solve their homework problems for them!)

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #18 Posted by Gordon on 1 July 2005, 11:15 a.m., in response to message #1 by Michael F. Coyle Try getting your slide rule out and see what happens...

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #19 Posted by Mae West on 1 July 2005, 2:19 p.m., in response to message #18 by Gordon Is that a slide rule in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #20 Posted by Marcus von Cube on 4 July 2005, 9:05 a.m., in response to message #19 by Mae West Slide rules get longer when they are in use :-))

Re: HP Calculators and Sex Appeal Message #21 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 3 July 2005, 12:10 a.m., in response to message #18 by Gordon Hi Gordon! Interesting idea...I promise to give it all the consideration it deserves. :) - Michael

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