What to do with new HP-25

[G Evans]

I picked up what appears to be an 'as good as brand new' HP-25 , perfect box, manuals, charger, bag, and machine. I fitted new NiCds. Bag even has that new perfume smell.

Should I :

1- Use it instead of my Casio
2- Moth-ball it hoping it appreciates
3- Keep it but do not use it just look at it now and then

I'm concered it might go the way my other 25 went: fried memory chips.

What would you do?

George (UK)

[Axel Poqué]

You missed an option:

4- Give it to me for safekeeping :-)

But seriously, I would use it, but I wouldn't take it to work. If you want to use it as your everyday calc I'd suggest getting another cheaper one in not-as-good condition. (I wouldn't want to risk my NIB 41CX at work.)

Axel

Edited: 28 July 2003, 9:30 a.m.

[Harry (Germany)]

I would chose option 3. And get another one to play with.

I got a very good 29C that my brother gave to me 5 years ago cause he bought a 32Sii :)). I take it out of its like new box every now and then and I am always happy to see it is still in a very good condition. I would regret it so much if I used it and then scratched it.

Regards, Harry

[David Smith]

If you store it, seal the battery pack in a couple of zip lock bags... you don't want to wind up with a corroded machine 20 years later.

If it is in like-new condition I would put it away and get a not so nice one for everyday use.

[Dia C. Tran]

I would definitely use it. I would take good care of it though. It's no fun to have it and not using it. It may worth more later if you save it but then really how much it will be worth? $1000? $2000? Even if I would lose that much money in the future I don't want to miss out the fun of using one.

[Frank Wales]

As a matter of interest, where did you pick it up?

[G Evans]

shush not proud to admit it ! On ebay but it cost quite a bit to outbid ..
George

[hugh]

ah, that lemony smell...

the 25 really is a nice machine. it fits well in the palm and those buttons operate with a quality not found anymore. even for ready money.

[Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil)]

Hi, G. Evans;

I'm no collector, instead I'm a user.

That said, if I'm a collector, I'd keep it and never leave home WITH it.

If I intend only having a daily-use calculator, I'd sell it (or trade it) so I can buy (or have) OTHERS and use at least one, cheaper and more powerfull, and keep the remaining one(s) as spare.

My thoughts. I'm no collector.

Best regards.

Luiz (Brazil)

[Victor Koechli]

Give it to me as a present. You can be absolutely sure that I will take good care of it ;-)

Of course it'll be used every day, as that's what calculators are for in the first place, right? But then again, I'm not a collector, but rather a fan of these machines, and I just love to use them.

BTW: Do you think that by just using it from time to time you could fry its RAM chips? I certainly don't hope so...

Cheers,
Victor

[Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil)]

Hi;

I do not think RAM chips would "fry out" just because you are using the equipment, and if so, then you have an equipment with a lazy electronic design.

What I do not know is: would any X-MOS (X == C, P, V, N, whatever...) component be timeless? Of course they are not, and under different circumstances, either bipolar components can be destroyed or altered in such a way they will not work properly.

What in fact bothers me is that there are no replacements and, at least so far, no hardware emulators for these calculators. Once fried, the owner should pray for a donated organ. I found one 32KRAM chip in a sound board that was used in an HP42S and it worked perfectly fine (at least I was not yet called back...). Waht to do if a RAM, or an ACT chip dies? And there is no way to be sure that it's not gonna happen when you switch your calculator ON next time... Current surges are also dangerous in some circumstances, as well as ESD.

I prefer the LCD ones. Although they deal with µA and excessive current would fry them easiear, protection is enhanced in their case. At least I hope so... If not, some of them are still available and are easier to be replaced.

Best regards.

Luiz (Brazil)

Edited: 29 July 2003, 2:51 a.m.

[G Evans]

thanks for all suggestions !

[Harry (Germany)]

Regards,
Harry

[Norm]

I too will volunteer to help you keep it safely stored away (at my house).

[G Evans]

I will keep the little Woodstock in its case along side my 35 and 45 in my studio. Every now and then I will allow myself the luxury of some calculations using the 25. When my hands are too dirty I will use my Casio fx-61F for the donkey work.

To be honest for complex math Matlab or Mathcad can save a lot of programming time with good graphics thrown in- but maybe not as much fun !

thanks to you all !

George