HHC2007 in San Diego now up to 60 registered attendees!

[Gene Wright]

Wow! This is really shaping up to be the biggest HHC conference in years!

Four speakers from HP are expected.

San Diego, CA. Last weekend in September.

If you plan to attend, register now and we'll see you there!

[Howard Owen]

That's great!

Attendance has been growing steadily, going by the holyjoe.net HHC sites. Add the 35S, and that's what you get: almost a 50% increase year over year.

So, what about the possibility of firing up a new national HP calculator club? Is Richard completely jaded on the idea?

Regards,
Howard

P.S. If the bad connotations have had enough time to fade, maybe we could call it "PPC". Or would that be tempting fate?

P.P.S. HP has four people involved with the calculator division now?

[Bruce Bergman]

AND, the best part is, we're going to have beautiful weather for everyone. I've talked to our local weather forecaster and she has assured me that it will be typical awesome San Diego weather.

So don't miss it! :-)

thanks,
bruce

[hugh steers]

how can you know what the weather will be like that far out? over here in the UK i've no idea what the weather will be like later today!

[Dave Colver]

Quote:

---

how can you know what the weather will be like that far out? over here in the UK i've no idea what the weather will be like later today!

---

I use Metcheck

If you allow that you wont notice rainfall at or below .1mm its normally pretty accurate.

[Bruce Bergman]

Well, aside from being somewhat facetious, I do have San Diego's almost perfect record of great weather to rely on.

San Diego usually maintains an average temperature of about 76 degrees F somewhere around 300 of 365 days of the year. We haven't had any noticeable rainfall in almost seven months, and September is usually one of our hotter months.

So, while I'm betting that I'm right, the odds are with me. ;-)

thanks,
bruce

[Pal G.]

Bruce, who is your weather person?

My wife's dad's brother happens to be Loren Nancarrow. You've probably seen or heard of him..

Cheers,
Pal

[Bruce Bergman]

Yup, Loren has been around a LONG time. Nice guy.

My weather person is Aloha Taylor. She's the cousin of my wife's uncle. In Hawaii, almost everyone is related to everyone else somehow. ;-)

thanks,
bruce

[Dan Greil]

I won't be able to attend but would really like to have someone that can go ask the questions that pop up here on this forum:

• Does HP utilize focus groups for new calculator designs? How does HP create these groups, from a general public
  sampling or from niche areas like engineers, CPAs, instructors, etc?

• Describe the beta testing of prototypes and pre-production units. Is it all done in-house or do they utilize non-HP beta testers for math/logic validation, user experience feed-back, etc?

• How can MoHPC forum members contribute to design and pre-production quality control processes? Is there a formal way they can be involved in focus groups or become beta testers? The forum, as great as it is, only provides feed-back after a model goes into production.

• Describe HP's market strategy. Do they, for example, plan to focus on competing with TI in the education space, Sharp in the low-end retail space or are they shifting focus back to their roots - engineers and accountants?

• Given that the 12c is still in production and doing well, why doesn't HP re-release the 15c which shares so many components with the 12c? This would seem a no-brainer - simply start manufacturing something for which HP already possesses the design and manufacturing capabilities. Or, is there a Voyager 15c+ in the works and re-releasing the old 15c would under-cut that model's intended market?

• Would HP consider publishing 'release notes' for calculators so there is an official list of bugs (and work-arounds for things that are more quirks than bugs)? If these devices are to be relied upon in civil, aeronautical, and related fields where lives are at stake, it would appear to be the responsible thing to do. It would also buy credibility within those fields by HP showing it takes bugs seriously.

I'm sure other forum members have questions they'd like represented at HHC2007.

For those that have gone in the past, does HP make attendees sign non-disclosure agreements so that what is announced cannot be repeated (on this forum for example)?

-Dan

[Gene Wright]

The problem will be that if you want to hear the answers to these questions, you'll have to attend.

HP sessions require those in attendance to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Anything HP might say in answer to these questions would have to remain private between the attendees and HP.

So far, in the 3-4 years this has been asked for by HP, no one present has objected to signing the form.

If someone really does not want to sign the form, they are free to wait in another area during HP's presentations. In this case, they would miss out on 4 HP speakers, but that is their choice.

Especially this year, since the conference itself will be held at an HP facility used by the calculator group in San Diego.

I'm also glad to say that I have not seen anyone who attended a past HHC meeting who broke their NDA. That helps HP trust those who attend even further.

So, bottom line, if you want to know the "scoop", you have to attend in person.

Sorry about that!

[Wayne Brown]

Quote:

---

HP sessions require those in attendance to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Anything HP might say in answer to these questions would have to remain private between the attendees and HP.

So far, in the 3-4 years this has been asked for by HP, no one present has objected to signing the form.

If someone really does not want to sign the form, they are free to wait in another area during HP's presentations. In this case, they would miss out on 4 HP speakers, but that is their choice.

---

This is the primary reason I've never attended an HHC meeting, and why I never will while that policy continues.

[Bruce Bergman]

Wayne, I'm curious... For you, is this a matter of principle, or does it literally cause a conflict (say, with an employer)? I don't like signing NDA's any more than the next chap, but it seems a pretty good trade-off for getting insight into an otherwise private operation.

This is the norm for businesses who have concerns about industrial theft, especially intellectual property.

I'm not casting any aspersions on your choice; I'm just trying to understand what would cause you to feel this way.

thanks,
bruce

[Gene Wright]

Where I work, visitors who want to see the warehouse have to sign an NDA as well. Common practice in business. Period.

Wayne, come to HHC2007. You'll just have to stand in the hallway for a couple of hours while the rest of us hear many good things. :-)

[Wayne Brown]

I wouldn't object to an NDA from any other company. But with the way HP has behaved over the last 15 years or so, I think it's insulting for them to ask for an NDA or anything else. I think they should be on their hands and knees, begging for the privilege of being allowed to attend at all, rather than having the impudence to impose conditions on other attendees.

If I were to attend, it would be to spend time with HP enthusiasts like those on this forum. I have no interest in meeting with HP company representatives; in fact, I'd be more likely to attend if HP were forbidden from participating at all. But there's no way I'd go anywhere near it if I had to wait outside while the HP flacks were allowed inside!

[Eric Smith]

Quote:

---

This [NDA policy for HP presentations] is the primary reason I've never attended an HHC meeting, and why I never will while that policy continues.

---

IMNSHO, the conferences are useful and worthwhile even when HP doesn't make presentations. Therefore, I think they would be interesting and worthwhile even for someone who doesn't sign the NDA and skips those particular sessions.

[Dan Greil]

Gene,

Thanks for that insight. I surmised NDAs were necessary but now you've confirmed it. I can live with that.

But now you have my curiosity piqued! I am in need of a vacation...

I just finished reading "The HP Way" by Dave Packard and realized that the HP Journal was probably discontinued for the same reason - i.e. not disclosing trade secrets. The HP Journal was published (according to the book) in response to General Radio Company's publishing of the Experimenter. Back then, these publications were a marketing tool. Now, the information in those would be considered trade secrets.

Thanks,

Dan

[DLF]

Quote:

---

Back then, these publications were a marketing tool. Now, the information in those would be considered trade secrets.

Thanks,

Dan

---

Back when marketing was more about substance than style....

[David Ramsey]

Quote:

---

Wow! This is really shaping up to be the biggest HHC conference in years!

Four speakers from HP are expected.

San Diego, CA. Last weekend in September.

If you plan to attend, register now and we'll see you there!

---

Registration info...?

[Gene Wright]

HHC2007 website

Be great to see you (and others there).

HP is providing the facilities this year and they have room for up to 90 people.

Gene

[Matt Kernal]

Any idea why Joe Horn isn't on the attendee list (since the other committee members are listed)? I hope it's just an oversight.

I'm glad to see Jim's name is there.

Matt

p.s. I hope Wlodek's "Probability of attending" increases to something more than 51%.