50g - Differences in production batches

[Wes Loewer]

I have 3 50g's and 49g+.

Purchase date / 1st 3 digits of serial number
2003 / 334
2007 / 710
2009 / 820
2015 / 450

Three of the four screens look the same, but the one I purchased in 2009 (820) has a slight reddish tint which reduces the contrast, making it a bit more difficult to read. The tint of the glass is noticeable even when the calculator is turned off.

I reported it here but someone responded here that they had a 2007(720) model that had no noticeable difference from a 2012 (229) model.

In this same thread from 2014, Tim wrote

(06-05-2014 09:46 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  They are still the same and manufactured with the same standards and methods.

But back in 2006, someone else reported a similar reddish tint on comp.sys.hp48 , to which Cyril replied:

Quote:the 2 screens are from the same manufacturer and have the same part number....

There is a slight but clear difference in the screen's tint. My guess is that the screen manufacturer had a slight temporary change in their production that was never reported to hp.