[..12C'II'..]
As JYA stated recently (in comp.sys.hp48), it has been redesigned due to some parts getting obsolete.
The original 12C didn't have a Saturn-based CPU,
instead, it was a nut-based one.
Hmm.
At least in the 'new' 30S there is no part made by HP...
It's history stack functionality ressembles much the CALC mode in the HP-71B. Unfortunately ,no RPN.
Otherwise it would have been a nice machine.
[..10BII->32S..]
I think a 32S in a housing like the 10BII would be another step backwards.
The quality of the case and keys of the 32S (and 32SII) is *much* better!
The 10BII has much rubber around the case,
but not enough on the back side.
So, if you press a key, the calc will move on the table!
At least my 10BII unit has a housing where the battery door is the 'deepest' area of the back side,
so the very small 'hamster shit' rubber feet don't have much contact to the surface:-(
The keys have a very hard 'knack', but they are not reliable. It happened some times that even after the 'knack' the key wasn't registered by the machine.
So, as with the 49G, you have to watch every key stroke you make. Compare this with an HP-48 or one of the Pioneer series calcs.
And the 32SII has been redesigned recently:
New color scheme, also a step backwards.
Not the painting or molding of the key legends is the main problem,
but the color and font of the symbols used.
On a 32SII with molded keys, the legends are far better readable than on those machines with painted keys.
I have both, so I can compare.
On the redesigned 32SII with the white and green legends
they seem to be not as readable as on the older versions with orange and blue legends.
The people responsible for the color schemes seem to be blind (at least for colors).
Compare the scheme on the 49G: 'metallic' Blue case, red and blue legends!!
I have a 15C and a 16C which have some repainted 12C keys.
(See somewhere here in the museum for reference)
That's not a problem, at least not on those machines. The paint didn't go off in the last 15 years, and the letters and symbols are in the same font and size as the on molded ones.
As stated in another thread,
chances are not good that HP will make another calculator in the future.
Sorry for getting somewhat off-topic.
Raymond
