NEW: HP 15C Collectors Edition

[tppytel]

15CE #2705 and #2744 arrived in Chicago this afternoon. Purchasing/shipping/packing from Eric was terrific. Thanks Eric!

As others have reported, I have some faint abrasion along the ridge of the bezel. It's a bit mystifying that a protective film was applied to the exterior of the packaging's display window but not to the calculator bezel itself. One unit is a hair short of perfect while the other has a bit more abrasion, but even the latter isn't enough to trouble me. Could probably be corrected/minimized with precise polishing if I cared enough to do so. That's my only nitpick and the only noticeable difference between the two units.

The key action seems excellent on both units. I haven't used any recent manufacture Voyagers like the 12C or 15LE. The 15CE keys have more travel and are a touch clickier than my vintage (nearly unused) 10C, which is also clicky but much tighter. I prefer the 15CE key feel slightly over my SM DM11L. I think my Platonic ideal of a keypad would be an amalgam of all three, but they're all fine on their own too. No detectable problems with registration or key bounce after a fair bit of testing. Screen legibility is great, which is where I find the SM units somewhat lacking. Someone (here or on reddit?) was concerned about contrast/color compared to the original Voyager screens. But side by side with my 10C under typical light there's only the slightest difference in tint, nothing approaching a functional difference IMO.

I'm looking forward to giving the 15CE some good workouts, replacing the DM11L I keep at school for typical quick number crunching. Not sure what I'll do with the second unit yet. I might get the overlay and make it into a dedicated 16C, or might gift it to my son if he decides to pursue STEM stuff, or else just keep it as a backup or resell at some point.

Very well executed product in any event, IMO.