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are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Printable Version

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are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Gonzalo Fernandez (Spain) - 09-26-2011

Are the keys of the new HP 15C LE made of molding two plastics of different colors or painted? The first HP calculator that went from molded keys to painted keys was the HP48G line made in Indonesia.
I have seen prices of HP15C LE in the TAS ridiculous (more than $400, see link )
Is not forbidden by law to sell one new product more than the MSRP price? HP can put a claim to TAS for selling his products 4x its value?


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Michael de Estrada - 09-26-2011

There is no law preventing resellers to chose any price they wish. A manufacturer has no control over the price that a private citizen can choose to sell their products. The only control that a manufacturer may have is over the price chosen by a primary distributor or retail outlet, and even then it's not a legal issue. Products are rarely sold at MSRP, although the retail price is usually below MSRP. TAS is a completely open marketplace, and people are free to be complete idiots by paying absurd prices if they so desire. BTW, the high bidder on the auction you have linked is not in the USA, and probably European.


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Todd Garabedian - 09-26-2011

I don't believe there are any laws on this, but apparently HP doesn't have any policy about its authorized resellers selling for a certain amount. Buy.com and Sampson are selling the 15C LE for significantly more than the price on the HP website.

As for end user/purchasors, they can sell their goods for whatever they want. If some dolt wants to spend $400 on a calculator they can buy elsewhere for $99, I say let them. That's the free market, baby!


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Todd Garabedian - 09-26-2011

Quote:
TAS is a completely open marketplace, and people are free to be complete idiots by paying absurd prices if they so desire.

Hey, as a seller on "TAS", I like those folks! :)


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Michael de Estrada - 09-26-2011

It's not Buy.com that's selling the 15C LE for a high price, but Samson Innovations, which is the same outfit as Samson Cables. Buy.com is sold out of the 15C LE, and never sold it for more than $89.99. I got mine for only $73.99 from them with a $5 coupon. :).


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Roger Blake - 09-26-2011

Quote:
Are the keys of the new HP 15C LE made of molding two plastics of different colors or painted? The first HP calculator that went from molded keys to painted keys was the HP48G line made in Indonesia.

I've just had a look under a microscope and the original has very sharp edges to the lettering. The letters are also bigger and wider than on the LE. The LE has fuzzy outlines as do the blue and yellow labels on both old and new, so I reckon the LE has painted keys :-(


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Gonzalo Fernandez (Spain) - 09-26-2011

So the keys of the old HP calculators were better made? What a pity, it seems to me that the last HP calculator with best manufacturing quality (keys, materials) was the HP48G models. From there on, quality was worse (HP49g, 50g,,)


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - megarat - 09-26-2011

Some might disagree w/you about this point as well, as I think all (or at least some) of the 48G* line had painted keys, and the calculators were no longer being manufactured domestically. (The domestic-to-abroad transition happened during the middle of the 48S* line.)


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Hugh Evans - 09-26-2011

Usually, the problem is minimum advertised pricing (MAP) out of concern that distributors will have trouble competing with companies who can survive short term losses. However, there is no legal upper limit and "You will never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Jose Poyan - 09-26-2011

I totally agree that it's a pitty that the keys are painted. In the HP48G series I could clearly see the difference between the molded Singapore made keys and the painted Indonesia made keys. They felt the same but they certainly didnt look the same and, in my case, I didnt need glasses to see the difference. This was much more noticeable with the Pioneer series. The keys looked like fake cheap ones, and even the plastic was different comparing Sing and Ind made units. I hope the HP 15C LE is made in high quality plastic. I can not wait for them to buid more, and start distributing them in Europe.

I hope they decide the LE was a "selling succede" and they start producing the standard 15C again.


Re: are the keys of the HP15C LE molded? - Martin Pinckney - 09-26-2011

Quote:
I don't believe there are any laws on this, but apparently HP doesn't have any policy about its authorized resellers selling for a certain amount.

There are laws (or at least court precedents) that prohibit HP from controlling the final selling prices. It's called "restraint of trade" in the U.S.

Long gone are the days when manufacturers set retail prices, and sanctioned retailers who didn't tow the line. That's why you'll see MSRP listed, with the emphasis on "Suggested."