The Museum of HP Calculators

HP Forum Archive 20

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #1 Posted by Michael Kussmaul on 9 Sept 2011, 5:19 a.m.

I'm not a collector (yet :-) but plan to buy a 15c LE for personal daily use. I heard (here in the forum) there seem to be two versions released: An U.S. and an European version, with slightly different model numbers (#B1S = Europe, #ABA = U.S.).

Are those models physically the same? Or are there really some differences on the hardware? I'm thinking of the differences in comma/dot notation, e.g. in The U.S. you seem to write: 1,000,000.1234 - while in Europe you write 1'000'000.1234

I'm not sure if even the original 15c had different comma/dot notation? Perhaps some owners of the original one could shed some light?

kind regards, Michael

      
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #2 Posted by x34 on 9 Sept 2011, 6:55 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Michael Kussmaul

You can toggle comma/dot digit separator on HP-15c. Turn calculator off, than press and hold "ON", press ".", release "ON" than release ".". This will switch comma to dot or vice versa.

Edited: 9 Sept 2011, 6:55 a.m.

            
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #3 Posted by Michael Kussmaul on 9 Sept 2011, 10:27 a.m.,
in response to message #2 by x34

Oh, great - so I could adjust comma representation. So I guess I'm going to buy the calculator in the U.S. :-)

      
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #4 Posted by Raymond Del Tondo on 9 Sept 2011, 7:30 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Michael Kussmaul

At least in Germany one would write 1.000.000,1234 .
The only place I saw those separator ticks (') before were in the Aurora FN1000, a 12C clone from the far east.

Ray

            
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #5 Posted by Marcus von Cube, Germany on 9 Sept 2011, 7:56 a.m.,
in response to message #4 by Raymond Del Tondo

Quote:
At least in Germany one would write 1.000.000,1234 .
1 000 000,123 4 is even more common but does not help on an LCD display. ;-)
                  
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #6 Posted by Walter B on 9 Sept 2011, 12:26 p.m.,
in response to message #5 by Marcus von Cube, Germany

Quote:
1 000 000,123 4 is even more common but does not help on an LCD display.
It does help on a reasonable LCD but not on that old fashioned stuff ;-)
            
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #7 Posted by Gilles Carpentier on 9 Sept 2011, 8:18 a.m.,
in response to message #4 by Raymond Del Tondo

It's the same in France

, (or space) for. and . for ,

1 000 000,1234
1.000.000,1234

I've never see a ' for thousand and others 10^3 separators

Edited: 9 Sept 2011, 8:19 a.m.

            
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #8 Posted by Michael Kussmaul on 9 Sept 2011, 10:32 a.m.,
in response to message #4 by Raymond Del Tondo

I didn't know that there are so many differences and I double checked, it seems even in Europe itself there are "separator" differences, e.g.:

Germany: 100.000 France: 100 000 Switzerland: 100'000

At least that's how my computer represents large numbers if I change the locale.

                  
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #9 Posted by Thomas Radtke on 9 Sept 2011, 11:30 a.m.,
in response to message #8 by Michael Kussmaul

For many years, this localization caused a lot of grief. You couldn't enter numbers comfortably on the numeric pad, as several programs (AutoCAD, Java programs, Statistica and so on) simply didn't accept the comma. Plain horror. Even worser was that Excel didn't store formulas as meta data, so exchanging them was at least problematic (e.g., arguments were seperated by a semicolon instead of a comma).

A few things have changed, but it's not over yet. Europeans are still paying the price for giving away all chances from their invention of the computer.

BTW, anyone knows how to comfortably swap the decimal point (and only it) on Win7? ;^)

                        
Changing decimal symbol on Windows 7
Message #10 Posted by Vladan Dugaric on 9 Sept 2011, 11:48 a.m.,
in response to message #9 by Thomas Radtke

To change decimal symbol in Windows 7, open Control Panel, select Region and Language, on Formats tab click Additional settings... and change Decimal symbol as needed (you can type any character there).

Vladan

                              
Re: Changing decimal symbol on Windows 7
Message #11 Posted by Thomas Radtke on 9 Sept 2011, 12:37 p.m.,
in response to message #10 by Vladan Dugaric

Thanks, Vladan. I'd have never guessed I can type in anything here (drop-down box shows the comma only). However, it doesn't change keyboard layout :-(.

                  
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #12 Posted by Kiyoshi Akima on 9 Sept 2011, 2:24 p.m.,
in response to message #8 by Michael Kussmaul

And moving outside of Europe, the Japanese language wants digits separated into groups of four not three. But AFAIK not even Japanese calcs like Casios have a mode for this.

      
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #13 Posted by Glenn Dowdy on 9 Sept 2011, 11:25 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Michael Kussmaul

Quote:
I'm not a collector (yet :-) but plan to buy a 15c LE for personal daily use. I heard (here in the forum) there seem to be two versions released: An U.S. and an European version, with slightly different model numbers (#B1S = Europe, #ABA = U.S.).

Are those models physically the same? Or are there really some differences on the hardware? I'm thinking of the differences in comma/dot notation, e.g. in The U.S. you seem to write: 1,000,000.1234 - while in Europe you write 1'000'000.1234

I'm not sure if even the original 15c had different comma/dot notation? Perhaps some owners of the original one could shed some light?

kind regards, Michael


The models are physically the same.

      
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #14 Posted by Egan Ford on 9 Sept 2011, 11:32 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Michael Kussmaul

Quote:
Are those models physically the same?
The US version is 5" wide and the European version is 127mm wide.
            
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #15 Posted by M. Joury on 9 Sept 2011, 11:38 a.m.,
in response to message #14 by Egan Ford

But the height and depth are the same?

I found myself LOL at your post and could not resist a response.

Edited: 9 Sept 2011, 11:55 a.m.

                  
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #16 Posted by Egan Ford on 9 Sept 2011, 12:03 p.m.,
in response to message #15 by M. Joury

It's an old joke. I couldn't help myself.

                        
Re: HP 15c LE - U.S. versus European version
Message #17 Posted by Walter B on 9 Sept 2011, 12:29 p.m.,
in response to message #16 by Egan Ford

Oh yes, five Royal British thumbs ;-/


[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

Go back to the main exhibit hall