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Full Name (family, given): Hancock, John
Email: jhancock@team.telstra.com
Location: Adelaide, Ausrtalia
Entered: 7 Dec 2001, 12:41 a.m.
Born 1955 Adelaide Australia.
I first fell in love with HP calculators when I was at Uni in the mid 70s. It was mostly slide rules in those days, but some of the more wealthy students could afford calculators - but HP calculators were rare beasts indeed. I had a friend with an HP 67 and envy was too mild a word to describe my emotions.
I aquired a TI with 50 steps from a friend and paid more than I could afford and very quickly became bored with it.
When studying electronics in the early eighties I aquired my first HP calculator. An HP 41C with a printer and HPIL tape drive - but no IL adaptor. I swapped the tape drive for a card reader (a decision which I still regret). I spent many hours programming this little beauty. I still have several hundred cards with various programmes. This was stolen from my bag in college (Like university in Australia). But it was insured so I managed to replace it with a new 41CV and new card reader.
I later supplemented this with a 15C which I immediately fell in love with. It was especially powerful when solving simultaneous equations with up to four unknowns in AC circuits. It received a very heavy work out in my electronics course. It too was stolen - but never replaced.
A work collegue introduced me to Synthetic proramming in the mid 80s. I found it fascinating, delving behind the display as it were.
I have since aquired a faulty 41C and a working 41CX with a number of modules. The 41CX I picked up from a Salvo Op Shop for AU$20.
More recently I purchased a 32SII for my wife's studies. She loves it. They have become inseperable. About a month ago I picked up a 48G with manuals from Cash Converters for AU$107. I am finding learing to program this a real challenge. My ambition now is to master Sys RPL and ML. If I can aford it I would like to pick up a 48GX but that will have to wait.
I worked in Broadband radio transmission for a number of years before taking my current position in IT support. I am a subject mater expert in another of HP's products. HP OpenView running on HP midrange unix computers.
In my time in this company I have had contact with many HP products. HP test instruments - using, and repairing. HP computers - programming, repairing, installing (I am supposed to be installing an N class server right now!!!), and maintaining. HP software - using, configuring, installing, and supporting. HP Calculators - using.
So as you can see I have been in the privilaged position of having exposure to the best products in each of these fields.
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