[BC] Calculating machines

[Robert Orban]

At 03:52 PM 10/5/2007, you wrote:
>  Robert Orban wrote:
>
>>This experience brings back memories of HP's superb build quality 
>>back when it was still mainly a test and measurement instrument 
>>company. Of course, it cost $395 in 1972 dollars, which is $1838 in 
>>today's dollars.
>>
>>May the HP45 live for another 30 years!
>
>
>What's scary is that you can get one today at the dollar store that 
>will probably out-perform it.

In terms of features, this is no doubt true. However, the HP 
calculator keyboards of the time had a very special feel to the keys 
that HP has had trouble reproducing when they went to Chinese 
contract manufacturing for their present-day calculators. Moreover, 
the build quality of the old HPs is far better than any "dollar 
store" calculator. And I like the 45's LED display, which is readable 
at any angle, unlike LCDs.

That being said, HP finally got it right (except for the LCD display) 
with the new HP 35s, which has the same form factor as the old HP-35 
and HP-45 but of course has far more power. When I first saw this 
calculator announced for sale, my inner geek kicked in and I bought 
one. They're about $60 and I felt that it was money well spent. For 
me, the main improvement over the 45 was direct entry of complex 
numbers and full support for complex arithmetic, including 
transcendental functions on complex arguments. The programmability 
doesn't interest me much; that's what computers with big displays are for.

Bob Orban