Your museum page says that the HP35 was not introduced until 1972 but I received one for a high school graduation present in the Fall of 1969 and was the first one at Georgia Tech to have one. As I recall it cost around $500. Can you explain this apparent contradiction?
I had a HP35 in 1969
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05-15-2002, 02:23 AM
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05-15-2002, 03:49 AM
Are you sure about the dates you gave,
Would you mind sending photos of the calculator,
05-15-2002, 09:30 AM
I lived in a suburb of Pittsburgh in 1953 and at my grade school 8th grade graduation party that year I received an HP-42S from my eccentric old Uncle Walter, a Ham Radio Operator and (so he claimed, ha ha) a time traveller. It was unlike anything available at the time. Most kids couldn't afford even a slide rule, let alone a microprocessor-controlled advanced scientific calculator. Yet here I had something that only fictional characters like Dick Tracy or Walter Mitty were supposed to own. It was great. Most kids really got excited about the two-line LCD dotmatrix display, though the LCD hadn't been invented yet, and I didn't have the heart to tell them. The teachers in high school the next couple years wouldn't let me use it on tests though, the shortsighted bastards. Uncle Walter used to bring me a lot of other really cool stuff from his workshop out in the woods, back behind where he kept the old DeLorean parked. One time he brought me something he called a "cellphone," back in 1958. It didn't work when he gave it to me, and I put it on a shelf, but then many years later, in the 90's, I brought it out again, dusted it off, and lo and behold it actually worked. Go figure. ▼
05-15-2002, 12:25 PM
Despite all inspiration The Traveller showed us here, I'd be back to Steve Goldman. and ask him about the 35. At the time I was 8 (1969), I remember moon landing was the mankind's biggest concern. So, my question is : did HewPack have the technology to build a pocket electronic calculator at that time (I still do not have the interrogation signal here...) Based on the answer, I believe there is a possibility they - HP - have offered something like this as internal research. Not impossible! Have you heard about the Xpander(interrogation sign) What if nobody knows about it now and it becomes available in two or three years(interrogation sign) Anyone who claims having it in hands three years before releasing will be in Mr. Goldman's same position. So, what if... Cheers. ▼
05-15-2002, 12:33 PM
The story is that Bill Hewlett had the idea of putting a scientific in your pocket when everyone else was building desktop scientifics. Also according to the story, Hp put it together and had it in production in less than a year. 1972 - 1 year = 1971. A full two years after this amazing widget is to be. I suspect a corrupted memory error.
05-15-2002, 01:06 PM
I hope that Uncle Walter, back from one of his travels, gave you some LR44 too. ;)
05-15-2002, 01:26 PM
I'll let "The Traveller's" fanciful response pass without comment. While it may be possible, as Luiz suggests, that a prototype was available in 1969, it does not seem that would have been a likely gift for a graduating high school student. As Ron suggest, it appears that the only explanation for the apparent contradiction is that you are mistaken. The date of introduction of the HP-35 is well established as 1972, by all sources including HP itself: |