I wanted an HP41C but could not afford it back then. Look where the humble calculator is now!
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Things You Don't See Anymore Part 3
- Thread starter Richland123
- Start date
I had a TI-81 graphing calculator I used for a long time. When those came out they were powerful tools. I think I still used it until decent cell phones and apps came out. I ran across it a while back and loaded a bunch of batteries and it still worked!In our phones!
I've got (what I believe is) the first Sinclair model.
It skinny, and long - made of metal, and looks like the kind of TV remote you'd have expected Bang & Olufsen to have designed.
Those early TI's were fantastic, and rock solid. My 30x (interestingly, assembled in Italy) has been to the other side of the world and back with me, and still works too.
If anybody wants to enjoy a trip down "TI" memory lane, this site, while remaining very basic in its layout, is a fun way to spend some time: Album Scientific
Speaking of Sinclair...
Two whole KB of RAM on board, with a whopping 16 KB expansion module!
Timex Sinclair 1000 - Wikipedia
Speaking of Sinclair...
Two whole KB of RAM on board, with a whopping 16 KB expansion module!
Timex Sinclair 1000 - Wikipedia
Not seen one of those.
My cousin had (still has) the ZX-81, which is very similar to that, and the Spectrum 48k (which I remember us bringing on a camping holiday, and the palava of dealing with the tiny computer, hulking power supply, cables, tape deck, cassettes, joystick, and portable TV, all so we could play Jetset Willie, and Manic Miner).
Another cousin had a Sinclair C-5 (I don't know if those ever made it to America, as given the mortality rate of cyclists there, C-5 pilots wouldn't stand a chance).
I had one go on it, and it was like patting your head whilst rubbing your belly : you had to pedal to get it going fast enough that you could engage the electric motor - at which point you had to stop pedalling.
I accidentally continued pedalling once the motor was engaged, which caused the chain to jump / snap, which I think caused the motor to run wild without drive, and the car battery leaked everywhere.
That killed it.
Those HP41CV Calculators are still getting $199.00 on EBAY!
The TS-1000 was based on the ZX-81, but made for the US market, and our TVs (NTSC vs PAL, since TVs were to serve as monitors). Some of the TS-1000's, cracked open by those who do such things, were found to have "ZX81" printed on the motherboard. The 1000's got a bump-up in RAM, from the 1 KB to 2. So same basic thing, for a different place.
Fiddling with the volume on the tape recorder to get it to behave as a usable "tape drive" was a hassle, but once I had mine dialed in, it worked a treat. The membrane keyboard had basically zero tactile feedback, but for someone looking to learn some BASIC, and have a bit of fun, it wasn't bad. There were a few game programs sold on tape, as I recall. I definitely recall a flight simulator, and a version of "Frogger," which was all the rage in video arcades at the time.
Ah, found a listing of the programs that were available for sale: Timex/Sinclair 1000
I have an HP15C that I still use...... bought it as a college freshman in 1985.
Once I got used to a calculator with RPN, I can't go back to one with an = key.
Yes, once you use RPN you'll never go back!
Those HP 10C/11C/12C/15C/16C calculators are still the best ever made even today!
1) The batteries last essentially the shelf life of the battery (LR-44). I have friends who say that the batteries were still going after 5-10 years!
2) RPN makes calculations easy. Don't have to worry about parenthesis.
3) The feel of the keys are beyond comparison to anything else made. You definitely know when you've pressed a key properly.
I use an iPhone version of the 15C nowadays.
There is a Collector's Edition new version of the 15C:
*NEW* HP-15C Scientific Calculator Collector's Edition - Limited Production Run. | eBay
Not sure how the long the batteries last in this one. It uses 2032 cells but some sort of ARM processor, not the old dedicated CMOS stuff HP used in the originals.
Love the Snap-On tools! I still have a Snap-On inch-pound torque wrench from 30 years ago.
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In 30+ years, I think I've put batteries in my TI-30x exactly twice.
Wow, that's impressive. Those older calculators had dedicated CMOS chips that draw essentially zero power when off so you could get essentially shelf life of the battery before replacement.In 30+ years, I think I've put batteries in my TI-30x exactly twice.
I also have an 11C somewhere..... started with that and went to the 15C for some other options the 11 didn't have.
Snap On Tools....... yep, I've got over $60k worth of them.
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It's also lazy as all get-out!
I'm sure if I were using it more often, it would need batteries sooner, but yeah, the "shelf life" phenomenon is hard to beat.One question I wonder about is whether there are batteries now with shelf lives that could match those of the older ones. (I have my doubts.)
