Calculators 6

[DaveAtkins]

I have had my HP 15c calculator since 1984, when I was a grad student. Yesterday, the zero key started getting "squishy" and it won't always produce a zero in the display. I love my HP 15c, but I know it is no longer made. Has anybody out there made the transition from an HP 15c (or 11c) to a newer model? If so, which one?

DaveAtkins

 

[mrengineer]

Customer reviews at Amazon.com on the HP33S almost universally critize this calculator for the decimal point being too small to see. It also does not fit into your shirt pocket.

 

[Stripper2]

"HP" today is just a brand name, nothing more.

"HP" used to mean quality, innovation, and a strong, motivated, appreciated workforce.

They're not distinctive anymore and are simply another tech company, not THE tech company. Most of the older folks I know inside the company say "the HP way" seems to have died with the founders. Too bad.

I really, really miss my HP15 and its replacement HP32. If I'd known they were giving up on that line, I'd have bought some spares.

I just can't afford the eBay premium for a used calculator.

 

[bjb]

I agree with you, I am very troubled by the decline in quality at HP, and how with the HP33s they seem to be more concerned with the style of the calculator than its function. I too wich I had bought at least one additional HP32sII, and I mean when they first started making them before they changed the color scheme and lessened the quality of eht keys.

 

[TomBarsh]

wow, a thread on good old HP's. It's interesting how this topic elicited so much interest.

I have a collection of HP's in my desk drawer...42S (long minus batteries), a large graphing calculator (never used), and the two that I use daily: a 22 year old 15C and 12 year old business 17BII (can't beat those built in financial functions). The 15C has a few squishy keys but it seems like they usually get unsquishy after a year or so. Can't beat the 15C for overall speed and convenience. Anything more complicated than a few sines and cosines and I'll set up an Excel spreadsheet instead (although many years ago I used the programming features of the 15C all the time).

ahhhh....memory lane (yes, I remember Bowmar Brains!)

 

[Lutfi]

My HP41 card reader stopped working. Now I need to load up some of my programs from magnetic cards. Ouch, I miss some of them so bad. I guess I have to look for a second hand one that is still operational.