Calculator case

[Warbucks]

As I live in the Philippines, I have good access to manufacturers of plastic cases. My question is this:

If I make replacement hp cases for the 29, 34, and 41, with no HP label or markings, would I be violating any patents as they are quite old designs? If the answer is no, would it upset HP?

I will sell them at cost plus shipping - so I'm not getting rich off of others work. I just plan to make them available to collectors. I also plan to stuff them with new guts, again at cost. The software is free and open source.

If this will step on anyones toes, I will not do it. Any thoughts are much appreciated. Thank you.
JW

[Harald]

(05-04-2018 10:47 AM)Warbucks Wrote:  As I live in the Philippines, I have good access to manufacturers of plastic cases. My question is this:

If I make replacement hp cases for the 29, 34, and 41, with no HP label or markings, would I be violating any patents as they are quite old designs? If the answer is no, would it upset HP?

I will sell them at cost plus shipping - so I'm not getting rich off of others work. I just plan to make them available to collectors. I also plan to stuff them with new guts, again at cost. The software is free and open source.

If this will step on anyones toes, I will not do it. Any thoughts are much appreciated. Thank you.
JW

I have no idea about the copyrights, but if you go ahead with that, that would be REALLY great! If you could sort out the plastic parts, I could look into keyboards and hardware. This would be a chance to produce new LED calculators

Cheers,
Harald

[Nigel (UK)]

Since HP haven't objected to Swissmicros' wholescale reproduction of the Voyager series, along with the HP41 and 42, I can't think that they'd object to what you are proposing. I agree that Swissmicros' calculators aren't in the same cases as the originals, but they do resemble the originals.

Just to be clear: I'm delighted with what Swissmicros has made, and what you are proposing sounds good too. I hope it works!

Nigel (UK)

[rprosperi]

(05-04-2018 10:47 AM)Warbucks Wrote:  If I make replacement hp cases for the 29, 34, and 41, with no HP label or markings, would I be violating any patents as they are quite old designs? If the answer is no, would it upset HP?

As long as you don't use logos or other Trademarked items, there is no problem with what you propose. HP would neither notice or care*, there is no IP in the shape and contours of the device case.

* I can think of 2 or 3 individuals that may notice, but am confidant they would only care in a positive way.

[Harald]

To be honest, I think the biggest issue with this project will be tooling costs. Injection moulds aren't exactly cheap.

[Zaphod]

(05-04-2018 05:57 PM)emersone12 Wrote:  If I were Swiss Micros I would jump at the opportunity of introducing more old HP's and they are probably looking for follow-up projects after the DM42.

I’d jump all over a remake of a 34C for instance , or a 67 ..... or BOTH

I think they’d have to have the original style LED display of course.

[teenix]

(05-04-2018 10:47 AM)Warbucks Wrote:  I just plan to make them available to collectors. I also plan to stuff them with new guts, again at cost. The software is free and open source.

JW

Very cool

How do you replicate the LED displays and card readers etc?

The guts (in a way) have already been created with the LP calculator from Bernhard and the MultiCalc.

The MultiCalc could do with a nice case tho :-))

cheers

Tony

[Warbucks]

Thank you all for the input. All of it is valued.

What I intend to do is to see if I can produce a quality calculator (like HP calculators of lore) with superior technology useable by a student or a seasoned pro. I will use a multicore ARM soc (SnapDragon) resizable board with generous ram and storage. This is a stock part. I am happy to not use mediaTek. They will be fast and accurate. They will have two modes: emulate and simulate. All will run under a linux kernel that I have stripped down, with extremely low latency. This is already complete too. Linux because I do not want any license issues - and I have done this dozens of times. I will get two samples when I go to Taiwan. I wonder what phone this was going to be in?

When complete, they will look almost identical to their predecessors. The only difference outside will be the lack of HP branding. The red led originals will also be implemented using red leds. The leds that I want are impossible to find but my father in law has shown me encouraging samples from Taiwan.

Yes by all means if you have or want to help with the leds, that would be great! As for the keyboards, I have a source that will manufacture shot keys - affordable because the dealer wants to make some for himself. I do need help in getting that HP or better than HP key press! I am no ME.. When I make the keys, I will not have more than three sizes (economics) so a large enter key and two other sizes. I will need to standardize on a font set. This I feel will be hard. One or two functions on the key and one or two functions on the case plate.

One other idea is a hybrid, touch screen keyboard and display all in a calculator shell. Not a priority at all because I will have a phone version after all.

I really do not want to enter in a partnership with profit as a motive. I am in a different phase in my life and I do not want any headaches. I underestimated the difficulty of this already; I will not do that again.

By the way, these calculators will be on IOS, Android, and Linux. Windows only if someone else ports it - I have a severe Microsoft allergy resistant to any and all treatment.

When I have samples, I will post costs, quantities and pictures. From what I've looked at, I just do not think the quality is there regarding 3D printing. In about two weeks, I'll be making a quick trip to Taiwan to meet and look at facilities and their samples. There will also be discussion on the mechanism as well.

My son is looking forward to this trip as he has yet been out of the country.

Thanks for listening and your advice.

JW

[zx_spectrum]

WOW ..... that's just so freaking awesooooooooooome

[SlideRule]

(05-05-2018 07:06 AM)emersone12 Wrote:  … replacement hp cases … faithfully reproducing exact replicas … may be problematic … inherent known design flaws in the original designs … huge separate market for accurate improved case shell reproductions … replace their failed original cases on otherwise fully functional … calculators.

Maybe the Pioneer series or the Clamshell series as well (at least for consideration). I use my 19BII-ii (with the door on the back) daily.

BEST!
SlideRule

[Warbucks]

Greetings:

Tomorrow I am meeting a factory representative from China (in Manila.) I spoke with him today about cases, cover plates, and keys. To make a long story short, he told me that on the case one can fit a metal plate and use an aluminum or steel threaded tube to hold the two halves together. I will take my 41 and 34 with me to show him.

As far as which cases I will eventually make will be a function of how many will I be able to sell and the lot size. So for now, I am not promising which ones I ll make beyond the three I've mentioned - I'll play it by ear. Maybe someone might offer to buy a few for other projects.

This begs more questions:

1) Which calculator do you think has the best keyboard (be specific; for instance
on the 34, the early ones had a different case and keyboard then the later ones.)

2) Assuming I can get a good price, and there is demand, what case(s) should
I make next?

3) In addition to the design flaws I have received from emersone12, any more?
Any solutions?

4) Should I match the colors of the keys from HP? - Or are there better ones to use?
Same question with the case and case plate color.

I did forget to mention that each calculator will have a micro usb port, infrared, wifi with stack, and a few other modern conveniences. They come with the soc as well as the drivers (source code too.)

Thanks in advance,

JW

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

Impressive project - looking forward to see the first hardware emerging from it.

(05-06-2018 11:38 AM)Warbucks Wrote:  This begs more questions:

My answers are strictly based on personal preferences and not objective (i.e. I find 16 segment LCD displays so ugly that I can hardly bear the sight, therefore a 41 is an absolute no-go for me ... unless of course it could get a high-resolution dot-matrix display instead).

1) HP-67

2) Woodstock

3) ?

4) As far as I am concerned, the original HPs have good colors. What I don't really like much is the greenish "camouflage" color of the otherwise magnificient HP-67. I would prefer plain black overall (case and face plate), the same for replacement woodstocks.

Regards
Max

[EdS2]

(05-06-2018 11:38 AM)Warbucks Wrote:  Greeting
...
This begs more questions
...

Very interesting project - just to note, you probably won't be able to please everyone. Be sure to exercise your own judgement, and to limit the scope of your project, if that's what you need to do to make a success of it. There is sure to be more interest than there are commenters.

[Harald]

(05-04-2018 07:31 PM)emersone12 Wrote:  

(05-04-2018 12:02 PM)Harald Wrote:  I have no idea about the copyrights, but if you go ahead with that, that would be REALLY great! If you could sort out the plastic parts, I could look into keyboards and hardware. This would be a chance to produce new LED calculators

Cheers,
Harald

The various multiplicity of keyboard variations could be accommodated with silicone skin overlays similar to those commonly used on custom data input keyboards.

Would you have contact details of a manufacturer of those overlays? I would be very interested in those for the classic calculator upgrade kit.

Cheers,
Harald

[Harald]

(05-08-2018 01:17 PM)emersone12 Wrote:  

(05-08-2018 11:26 AM)Harald Wrote:  Would you have contact details of a manufacturer of those overlays? I would be very interested in those for the classic calculator upgrade kit.

Cheers,
Harald

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/C...56146.html

Check out the brilliant video of the keyboard overlay on the above page.

https://dggalore.en.alibaba.com/contacti...ecf1epxdLt

Or for countless other alternative manufacturer sites you can google "silicone keyboard skin" (or cover or overlay), change to images, view which keyboard skin image appeals to you, then view the associated site for the keyboard image. They are mostly Chinese mainland manufacturers.

Thanks for the links!
What I would need is not only custom printing, but also custom moulding. Unless anyone has already made an overlay for the HP classic calculator keyboard

[rprosperi]

(05-08-2018 04:03 PM)emersone12 Wrote:  By the way, the original silicone keyboard skin that you were interested in is a Cosmos® Premium Rainbow Black Color Silicone Soft Keyboard Cover Skin Protector for Apple Macbook Pro 13" 15" with Retina Display and Macbook air 13", and sells for $5.77. So the much smaller HP classic calculator sized silicone keyboard overlays with printing produced in the factory should be much cheaper than the larger computer sized overlays.

Only true if you can sell them in the same qtys as MacBook users buy, probably 10's of thousands.

Also, could you add larger images please? I can't read some of the key-top letters from 20 feet away from my PC. ;-)

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(05-08-2018 05:25 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Also, could you add larger images please? I can't read some of the key-top letters from 20 feet away from my PC. ;-)

:D :D :D

[David Hayden]

I have a particular soft spot for the 29C (woodstock) because it can be operated with one hand.

You might want to talk to swissmicros and panamatik to see if they might be interested in using your case. For me, the panamatic 29E(?) software running in a newly built case would be fantastic.

And you might want to talk to Claudio L. about putting newRPL in your hardware.

Ah, so many possibilities....

[Warbucks]

During the meeting with Xu, he told me that he was going back to China Tuesday, and that he would meet me here again in Manila next Tuesday. He will bring with him led samples (he can get dot matrix leds too,) quantities, and prices. I gave him samples of the keys and keyboard I want as well as my trusty 41 - It was hard letting that go, but he assures me that he will bring it back when he returns. I told him that my 41 had a lot of sentimental value to me.

I also gave him case samples so he could match the colors. At the end of next week, I am going to China instead of Taiwan for more of the same. We also discussed ways to fortify the cases so that they will last a long time. He can match the plastic exactly.

I'll post what he returns with on Tuesday.

JW

[Harald]

(05-10-2018 01:57 PM)Warbucks Wrote:  During the meeting with Xu, he told me that he was going back to China Tuesday, and that he would meet me here again in Manila next Tuesday. He will bring with him led samples (he can get dot matrix leds too,) quantities, and prices. I gave him samples of the keys and keyboard I want as well as my trusty 41 - It was hard letting that go, but he assures me that he will bring it back when he returns. I told him that my 41 had a lot of sentimental value to me.

I also gave him case samples so he could match the colors. At the end of next week, I am going to China instead of Taiwan for more of the same. We also discussed ways to fortify the cases so that they will last a long time. He can match the plastic exactly.

I'll post what he returns with on Tuesday.

JW

That sounds very promissing. Depending on what you go ahead with, I would be interested in buying cases and keyboards to build Tony's emulator into that.
Only if Tony is happy for me to do so of course.

Cheers,
Harald