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Thanks For The Memories

Posted by John Alwood on 2 Apr 2000, 9:52 p.m.

I started saving for an HP-35 when I first heard about it. I was in college, driving a junk car, skipping meals, and saving up for a $400 calculator! More than a few people thought I had my priorities a little bit mixed up. Many changed their minds when my calculator began running dozens of split-second circles around their clumsy slide rules and trig tables, etc. (to 9-digit precision.)

By the time I had saved up the $400 to buy the HP-35, the HP-45 came on the market at the same price -- and it became my first HP calculator.

After that, I began the process of always selling my "old" HP calculator so I could purchase (for a few extra bucks) the "newest" HP. There was never a shortage of starving students more than willing to buy a second-hand HP calculator!

I went from my original HP-45 to a HP-29C (programmable), then to a HP-67 (using an occasionally borrowed HP-97 to print) and finally to an HP-41C with printer, card reader, and all other accessories.

I still have the HP-41C and peripherals -- and everything works.

I purchased my step-daughter an HP-48 when she went off to college nearly 10 years ago. Of course, I did perform extensive "burn-in testing" prior to giving it to her as a "gift".

Since 1983 my focus shifted to microcomputers (i.e., Kaypro 8-bit CP/M portable) and has been with micros ever since. But I learned almost everything I know about math and programming from those calculators. I wrote the most complex (at least in THIS universe) Star Trek game for the 41C that there is. I never got around to publishing it, however.

Thanks for the memories.

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