An Agilent patent on a calculator

[Eric Smith]

http://www.google.com/patents?id=Kp4GAAAAEBAJ

[bill platt]

That's a Pioneer Keyboard!

[Johnny Bjoern Rasmussen]

Yes, looks like an eg. HP-42S with larger display. Very nice find Eric. Someone here who knows more about it?



Johnny

[Alejandro Paz (Germany)]

But, have you seen the applications ? neither college nor school...

[Namir]

I'd blame the HP web site for not posting this product (on time) ... what else is new???

:-)

Namir

[Gene Wright]

I wonder if, as part of the HP / Agilent split a few years ago, there had to be an agreement of some sort agreement that Agilent would not develop any directly competing products.

If so, they would have to focus on specific markets like this and might not be able to produce a "for the masses" device.

Just speculating. Really. I have no knowledge at ALL whether such an agreement is / was made. If there WERE an agreement, then this speculation might explain. But...

[Namir]

My diabetes specialist has complained for over 10 years about the decentralization of medical records and the lack of specialized tools that gather and access patients' data. Today he has such tools in his office. The machine in question might be an attempt to service the medical market using a calculator-based tool.

Namir

[Alejandro Paz (Germany)]

I thought Agilent sold its medical business to Philips (or was it LG?) some 10 years ago...

[Ljad]

Would like such a device!
But I don't think it will ever enter production. And now with all those computers, laptops, PDA's, Apps I don't think there is a market for this.

[Arnaud Amiel]

The patent itself is 10 years old!