Posts: 312
Threads: 25
Joined: Jan 1970
Peter:
Just the kind of thing one risks, whenever buying via Internet from someone you don't know. Me, I wouldn't buy anything at Ebay.
The "miraculous" HP-67 is, just possibly, an empty shell left after all usable components have been removed for use as spares.
Question: Did the keys work? If they did, then that shell of yours must still have (at least) the keyboard assembly.
In any case, you should fight to get your money back.
-Ernie
Posts: 1,788
Threads: 36
Joined: Aug 2007
Yes, HP made store display units of some of their calculators. I have a display model HP80. The keyboard circuit board is installed but it has no components. The area on the board where the display modules should be is covered with a piece of tape. The CPU is missing. Strangely the gold pins at the bottom of the keyboard that connect to the CPU board are installed.
Your display unit could be worth more to some collectors than a working unit. Or you might be able to install the guts from a machine with a bad case.
Posts: 610
Threads: 53
Joined: Aug 2005
I found a dummy 80 at a former HP worker. This guy was in charge with marketing HP calcs in the 70's. These calcs were at that time so expensive (for dealers to stock them) at that time that HP provided free dummies to be exhibited in window displays. Remember that HP was just beginning their calcs business.
Actually it was a genuine 80 without PCB. I sold it to one of us who put in a PCB inside and the feedback I had was that it now workd perfectly !
So I'm keen on thinking that your calc might also be a dummy material display.