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Orome · 03-18-2020, 03:34 PM

Can I parse my HP PRIME's SN to determine which of the four "versions" (if that's the right word) of the hardware I have:

NW280AA
G8X92AA
G8X92AA w/ better keyboard colors ((c) 2016)
2AP18AA

I understand that there are various ways to identify my hardware, but wonder if I can just determine it from the SN.

Also I've read that the PRIME will "report" its hardware revisions as A, C, C, and D, respectively; but don't see where this "report" happens. (Help > Tree > About HP Prime does not show any hardware revision information, except on my iOS app version.)

toml_12953 · (This post was last modified: 03-20-2020 02:13 PM by toml_12953.)

(03-18-2020 03:34 PM)Orome Wrote: Also I've read that the PRIME will "report" its hardware revisions as A, C, C, and D, respectively; but don't see where this "report" happens. (Help > Tree > About HP Prime does not show any hardware revision information, except on my iOS app version.)

Here are the About screens from a few of my Primes:

Orome · 03-18-2020, 04:13 PM

toml_12953 Wrote: Here are the About screens from a few of my Primes...

Yeah, that's where I expected it, but my screen shows nothing about hardware.

**rprosperi** · 03-18-2020, 04:29 PM

(03-18-2020 04:13 PM)Orome Wrote:
toml_12953 Wrote: Here are the About screens from a few of my Primes...

Yeah, that's where I expected it, but my screen shows nothing about hardware.

Can you post a shot of your screen? I've never this screen w/o h/w rev info, seems like something is wrong there.

Orome · 03-18-2020, 04:42 PM

rprosperi Wrote: Can you post a shot of your screen?

(How do I do that. I don't see an image uploading function in the forums? Also I don't see the images in the previous post. I have to download them to see them.)

**rprosperi** · 03-18-2020, 04:53 PM

(03-18-2020 04:42 PM)Orome Wrote:
rprosperi Wrote: Can you post a shot of your screen?

(How do I do that. I don't see an image uploading function in the forums? Also I don't see the images in the previous post. I have to download them to see them.)

I'd just take a photo with my phone and upload the .jpg file here. There is some way to take screen shots on the device, but I've forgotten how, and it is no doubt not as easy as a phone pic.

When you are creating a new post, there is a section below the editor. You need to:

1. Click Browse, then navigate on your PC to pick the .jpg file
2. Click "Add Attachment" button on the right
3. Add your comments
4. Either Preview or Post the reply.

Note that you will NOT see the image until it is posted (which usually confuses folks into thinking it isn't working right)

Orome · (This post was last modified: 03-18-2020 04:59 PM by Orome.)

rprosperi Wrote: Can you post a shot of your screen?

(That's not at all where I expected that feature to live!)

Joe Horn · 03-18-2020, 05:31 PM

(03-18-2020 03:34 PM)Orome Wrote: Can I parse my HP PRIME's SN to determine which of the four "versions" (if that's the right word) of the hardware I have:

NW280AA

G8X92AA

G8X92AA w/ better keyboard colors ((c) 2016)

2AP18AA

Those aren't serial numbers. Those are HP Part Numbers, whose first two characters tell the hardware version:

NW = hw rev A
G8 = hw rev C
2A = hw rev D

Rev A and C hardware are called "G1" Primes, and rev D hw is G2.

Your screenshot must be from a very old Rev A Prime, because firmware rev 5447 (2013 11 25) was the very first firmware version to be publicly released. The firmware is easily updated. Until you update the firmware, you'll be missing out on many features added since then.

Orome · 03-18-2020, 05:37 PM

Joe Horn Wrote: Those aren't serial numbers. Those are HP Part Numbers...

Yes, I know. The question is how to get from an SN to those.

cdmackay · 03-18-2020, 06:11 PM

(03-18-2020 05:37 PM)Orome Wrote:
Joe Horn Wrote: Those aren't serial numbers. Those are HP Part Numbers...

Yes, I know. The question is how to get from an SN to those.

Since the Prime only came out in late 2013, and your software rev is Nov 2013, it seems reasonable to assume that's a very early model, surely Rev A, and not updated since, for some reason?

Orome · 03-18-2020, 06:14 PM

cdmackay Wrote: Since the Prime only came out in late 2013, and your software rev is Nov 2013, it seems reasonable to assume that's a very early model, surely Rev A, and not updated since, for some reason?

Yes, I think that's right. I'm pretty sure I got it as soon as I heard about it. (Can I update it? I've never had any success trying.)

The question though is how to generally get from an SN to the model: is there a rubric; is the model encoded in the SN in any way?

**rprosperi** · (This post was last modified: 03-19-2020 02:54 AM by rprosperi.)

(03-18-2020 06:14 PM)Orome Wrote:
cdmackay Wrote: Since the Prime only came out in late 2013, and your software rev is Nov 2013, it seems reasonable to assume that's a very early model, surely Rev A, and not updated since, for some reason?

Yes, I think that's right. I'm pretty sure I got it as soon as I heard about it. (Can I update it? I've never had any success trying.)

The question though is how to generally get from an SN to the model: is there a rubric; is the model encoded in the SN in any way?

You can (and should immediately) update it using the HP ConnKit. I think the current CK will work even on machines that go back that far; and BTW, that's why the h/w revision isn't shown, at that time there was only a single h/w revision.

As for decoding the s/n to figure out your version, no, the version is not encoded into the s/n; the s/n specifies the place and rough date of manufacture only (see the latter part of description here: https://www.hpmuseum.org/collect.htm#numbers).

With enough samples (model and s/n) submitted by owners, one could theoretically figure out which models fall into which time frames, etc., but the tradition here is to not do that until 20-30 years after the machine was introduced. Smile

Orome · 03-18-2020, 07:27 PM

rprosperi Wrote: You can (and should immediately) update it using the HP ConnKit.

But I'm collecting rare old software!

**rprosperi** · 03-18-2020, 10:17 PM

(03-18-2020 07:27 PM)Orome Wrote:
rprosperi Wrote: You can (and should immediately) update it using the HP ConnKit.

But I'm collecting rare old software!

I have 9 versions of Prime f/w that are older than that one. Make me an offer and maybe they're yours.

And you could probably reload the old version again, if you really wanted to.

Carlos295pz · 03-19-2020, 01:26 AM

I doubt you will get access to official information about that, I know you are looking to differentiate it from the SN, but VERSION(2) can be used for it.

Orome · 03-22-2020, 04:26 PM

rprosperi Wrote: You can (and should immediately) update it using the HP ConnKit. I think the current CK will work even on machines that go back that far

It doesn't look that way: I can't even see the calculator in the Connectivity Kit.

**rprosperi** · 03-22-2020, 06:20 PM

(03-22-2020 04:26 PM)Orome Wrote:
rprosperi Wrote: You can (and should immediately) update it using the HP ConnKit. I think the current CK will work even on machines that go back that far

It doesn't look that way: I can't even see the calculator in the Connectivity Kit.

Does your CK connect with newer Primes? (just to know that it is communicating properly, USB cable is right type, drivers are installed, etc.)

Orome · 03-22-2020, 06:28 PM

(03-22-2020 06:20 PM)rprosperi Wrote: Does your CK connect with newer Primes?

Yes.

**rprosperi** · 03-22-2020, 06:32 PM

(03-22-2020 06:28 PM)Orome Wrote:
(03-22-2020 06:20 PM)rprosperi Wrote: Does your CK connect with newer Primes?

Yes.

Sorry, I should have been more clear - does it connect with newer Prime devices (not virtual) to ensure the USB cable/driver issues.

If the answer is still yes, then I'd conclude the CK indeed can't connect with f/w that old, which wouldn't be surprising, since the f/w has evolved dramatically and breaking with the past may have been the cost of progress.

Orome · 03-22-2020, 06:34 PM

(03-22-2020 06:32 PM)rprosperi Wrote: If the answer is still yes, then I'd conclude the CK indeed can't connect with f/w that old, which wouldn't be surprising...

That sounds right. I bought that one pretty much the instant Primes were available, so it's about as early as they can get, I expect.