Your First Handheld?

[markhen]

Sinclair Scientific, in 1975, at high school. Wanted an HP (35, 45, 55, 65) but Sinclair was an order of magnitude less cost! Entry system approximated RPN (postfix). Still have it, still works :-)

Graduated to HP 25 at college in 1977. Probably my favorite calc ever, only complaint was lack of continuous memory... Wrote a complete "21" card game in its meager 49 steps of program! Still have it, still works :-)

Next up was an HP 41C in 1980. Best all around calc for my money. Still have it, still works :-)

Used the 41C as my primary calc from 1980 until 2010 (! 30 years!!!). Then a browsing session on TAS stumbled on a shabby HP 55 which I just had to have (my HS physics teacher had a 55 and it was an object of much desire). The 55 was not working but was easily fixed. Over the next 2 years I made it my mission to own every handheld LED HP calc (and a few other "specials")...

Today I have working (at least one of): HP 35, HP 45, HP 55, HP 65, HP 70, HP 80, HP 21, HP 22, HP 25, HP 25C, HP 27, HP 29C, HP 19C, HP 67, HP 33C, HP 34C, HP 38C

Missing LEDs from my collection are: HP 01, HP 31E, HP 32E, HP 37E

And my "other/special" HPs: HP 41, HP 28S, HP 28C, HP 50g, WP 34S, WP 31S, HP 30b, HP 20b, HP 15LE, HP 35S, HP 33S

I've dabbled with some TI LED calcs (55, 57, 58, 59) but they are difficult to keep working.... Nothing like HP quality... And of course no RPN!!

What a journey!!!

Cheers -

Mark