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Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator? Well, it's here and HP didn't make it...

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On Sat, 25 Apr 2015, mm0fmf wrote:

> On 20/04/2015 00:56, Larry Sheldon wrote:
>> The machine I lusted was the TI 59 (I think that is the right number)
>> with the Aviation module and the printer "docking station" (I don't
>> think the "docking station" meme had been invented yet--and the machine
>> I had in mind was said to be the first programmable hand held, I think)
>
> I got one for my 18th birthday (far, far too long ago). I wrote all sorts of 
> programs for it as home computers in the UK were still very expensive and 
> rubbish TBH at that time. I could use my TI59 at school and program it for 
> fun. Took me through an electronic engineering degree as well. I wrote all 
> kinds of astronomy and electronics programs for it as it had the advantage 
> you could run the programs where you were and didn't have to find a terminal 
> on the university mainframes.
>
Did I mention here that for a while Byte magazine covered calculators, I 
think specifically programmable?  It was early on, "home computer" was 
kind of open ended, and yes, calculators gave a lot of function at a time 
when an actual home computer required quite a bit of effort to get to the 
practical point.

At that time, those programmable calculators were as interesting as any 
new home computer.

I actually got a TI58 about 1995 at a garage sale for five dollars, with 
the printer.  That was the TI59 without the cardreader.

   Michael

> I ended up a programmer not an EE and bought a Casio programmers calculator 
> in 1987 as it was cheap. The TI59 was retired from daily use and I just 
> tinkered with it when I was bored. Then the HP-16c came out but I had a 
> mortgage and young kids so I couldn't justify it as the Casio actually did 
> what was needed for Hex conversions etc.
>
> Roll on to 2015, the batteries failed in the TI59 and I rebuilt the pack. It 
> works and holds charge fine. The calculator works but with no real use for 25 
> years, the keys are iffy, it just needs a lot of action to clean them up. But 
> the worse thing is the card reader no longer works. The cards "go off" and 
> aren't magnetic any more. All my programs from 35+ years back don't load. 
> That hurts from a "lost youth" viewpoint. I still have the original charger 
> and softcase. I leant the manuals to a friend who passed away last year and 
> the manuals were lost in the cleaning up of his estate.
>
> It was just such a cool device to have back then. It enabled me to do so much 
> because it was portable though it did have a fair appetite for power. The 
> charger was always near!
>
> At university a friend bought a second-hand HP-67. That was less powerful 
> than the TI59 but way, way cooler. Better build quality and RPN. RPN sorts 
> the men from the boys! I've toyed with buying an HP-67 or HP-16 just because. 
> I was very tempted to buy one these Swiss devices but I think I may have to 
> invest in a real one now.
>
> And the Casio from 1987? It still works and is still using the original 
> Lithium coin cell.
>
>

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How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-14 13:45 -0700
  Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... root <NoEMail@home.org> - 2015-04-14 22:17 +0000
    Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-14 18:34 -0700
    Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-23 13:43 -0700
      Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... root <NoEMail@home.org> - 2015-04-23 22:02 +0000
        Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-23 16:52 -0700
          Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-04-23 23:37 -0400
            Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-23 22:39 -0700
        Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... root <NoEMail@home.org> - 2015-04-24 18:07 +0000
          Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-24 12:50 -0700
          Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-05-01 15:19 -0700
            Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... bashley@gmail.com - 2015-05-04 08:36 -0700
              Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-05-04 14:53 -0700
                Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Hils <hils@saynotospam.net> - 2015-05-29 07:23 +0100
  Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-04-15 12:16 +0000
    Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-15 11:38 -0700
      Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Nyssa <Nyssa@flawlesslogic.com> - 2015-04-15 15:10 -0400
        Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2015-04-15 20:36 -0500
    Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2015-04-16 16:40 +0000
      Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-04-16 15:58 -0400
        Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2015-04-17 08:57 +0200
          Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here   and HP didn't make it... Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2015-04-18 22:19 -0500
            Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here   and HP didn't make it... Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-04-19 13:50 -0400
              Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here     and HP didn't make it... Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2015-04-19 18:56 -0500
                Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here       and HP didn't make it... Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2015-04-19 19:10 -0500
                Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here     and HP didn't make it... Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-04-19 22:22 -0400
                Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here   and HP didn't make it... Bud Frede <frede@mouse-potato.com> - 2015-04-23 14:16 -0400
                Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... mm0fmf <none@mailinator.com> - 2015-04-25 09:10 +0100
                Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-04-25 13:12 -0400
          Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Bud Frede <frede@mouse-potato.com> - 2015-04-23 13:36 -0400
  Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-20 15:04 -0700
    Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-04-20 18:59 -0400
      Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here and HP didn't make it... Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2015-04-20 17:14 -0700
      Re: How about an amazing new HP RPN calculator?  Well, it's here   and HP didn't make it... Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2015-04-20 21:55 -0500

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