USA vs Singapore

[Mark Palmer]

I have been in love with and using HP calculators since 1978, when I picked up my dad's HP25. I used and still own my original 11c from high school and college. I am now trying to collect one HP unit from each series, but as I am doing so one thing has happened that is stumping me. Seems as all the ones I used way back (dad's 25 and 32e, my own 11c, and a few others) were all USA built units. Now that I am collecting, it seems every unit I win on e-Bay or aquire from other sources are Singapore built. Is this just coincidence, or are the Singapore units more plentiful or worth less on the collector market? I have put two old mint 1977 25's I own, one USA, one Singapore, under the eye and can find absolutely NO differences. So why did HP manufacture the same thing (through many of the series, even the oldies) in the USA and Singapore to sell in the USA? Were they smart to go for the cheaper labor even back in the early to mid 70's, or did they figure making them in Singapore too would make them easier to ship to other world markets?
Any insight would be appreciated.

[Raymond Del Tondo]

It was just cheaper.
From the quality view the calcs don't seem to be much different.

I have many models where one's built in the U.S., the other in Singapore.

Raymond

[Mark Palmer]

Thanks for the insights- looking at some of my calcs, the USA ones do have earlier SN's. Again maybe just coincidence, but it seems like the faces on the classic/woodstock models made in Singapore scuff easier than the USA units. I have also noticed USA built voyagers tend to have more dust inside the LCD than Singapore voyagers...must have cleaner assy. plants in Singapore :)

[David Smith]

By looking at the serial numbers of various units it seems that HP usually started making them in the US then as they got familiar with each model moved production to the US. Earlier serial numbers in each series are always US, later ones are Singapore and very occasionally Brazil.

[Ellis Easley]

I don't think cost is the only factor in the case of Singapore. It may be something that comes with outlawing chewing gum, but Singapore is known for high quality manufacturing. Hard drives have been built there for a long time.

A semiconductor rep once told me about a facility in Indonesia or Maylasia where something happened - an employee had an epileptic seizure or something - and the crew wouldn't come back until a religious official blessed the building.

(This isn't intended to poke fun at people's beliefs, but every place has its own customs.)

I heard recently that with the great volume of manufacturing that is done primarily for the Christmas season, non-Christians in the Asian countries where so much of the manufacturing is done have started celebrating Christmas (or at least the gift giving part of it!) to take advantage of the good prices.