Last 71B?

[rprosperi]

(03-04-2015 03:29 PM)TASP Wrote:  LOL, I was picturing a nice (physical) display of all things HP at the home digs.

Sigh, it would be fun.

Is is fun, even though there is no centralized location to see a single common collection.

That said, owners of the very best HP calculator collections in the world participate daily not only on this forum, but in this very thread.

Some examples:

hp-collection (Mattias Wehrli): http://www.hp-collection.org/
hp41cx (Gileno Hpteshca?): http://goo.gl/55pQZs

A very nice way to spend about 12 hours just browsing...

Enjoy it! I do every time I visit.

[TASP]

You guys need a club house.

Somewhere nice. Warm. Near a scenic water feature.



Or lives. Haven't decided which . . .


; )

[hp41cx]

hp41cx (Gileno Hpteshca?): http://goo.gl/55pQZs

Explanation because HPTESHCA :-)

[rprosperi]

(03-04-2015 10:41 PM)hp41cx Wrote:  hp41cx (Gileno Hpteshca?): http://goo.gl/55pQZs

Explanation because HPTESHCA :-)

I did not guess the whole thing, but that fact the it begins with "HP" definitely made me suspicious it was not your family name... :-)

[rprosperi]

(03-04-2015 08:10 PM)hp41cx Wrote:  One of my oldest s/n = 2426A00291

My original 71B, purchased the week Educalc received them from HP, has S/N = 2405A00304. Early but nothing like those in the other thread.

But this machine has been in continuous use (perhaps up to 2-3 months with no actual typing) since I got it in early 1984, and now has 512KB of FRAM installed, with the latest OS, and all the other goodies. Probably my single favorite machine of all.

[Dave Frederickson]

My original 71B and HP-IL module was purchased directly from HP. This was the same place where we held the local PPC meetings. At the time the list price was $525USD and EduCALC was selling it for $399.95. It looks like I received a "PPC discount" on the price.

Click to zoom


The 71 has serial number 2422A00129, which would date it around the middle of May, yet I bought it two months earlier.

[rprosperi]

(03-07-2015 01:56 AM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  My original 71B and HP-IL module was purchased directly from HP. This was the same place where we held the local PPC meetings. At the time the list price was $525USD and EduCALC was selling it for $399.95. It looks like I received a "PPC discount" on the price.

Click to zoom


The 71 has serial number 2422A00129, which would date it around the middle of May, yet I bought it two months earlier.

Very interesting... Whoever would have thought we couldn't trust something as innocent as a manufacturing date? I'll see if I still have my receipt to check as well. This should lead to interesting results. Thanks for stirring the pot Dave.

[Didier Lachieze]

This 2 months difference may be explained if the year in the serial number is not the calendar year but the hp fiscal year as mentioned here.

[rprosperi]

(03-07-2015 08:53 AM)Didier Lachieze Wrote:  This 2 months difference may be explained if the year in the serial number is not the calendar year but the hp fiscal year as mentioned here.

Makes sense, and most likely solves this mystery. Already in the early 80's the power of financial control was already worming its way into HP machinery.

[Klaus Overhage]

I bought This HP-71B from a guy in Wien, Österreich one month ago. It is my first HP-71 B and I am very happy with it. The serial number on its back is 3001A00176. Look at the Picture

[CY-CL]

(03-04-2015 06:36 PM)RayAtHP Wrote:  Just in case someone creates a database:
2518A00274
2504A00223
2516A00214

Mine is: 2401A00286

[Gamo]

Lot of information about Palmtop here this might help.

http://www.palmtoppaper.com/ptphtml/ptp99.htm

Gamo

[Erwin]

(03-03-2015 08:15 PM)Hans Holzach Wrote:  i noticed that one of my two hp 71b's was made late in '89 (date code 2949). while information about early 71b's can be easily found, i was not able to find information about the last one known. maybe the group can shed some light upon this?

thank you,
hans

Mine is 2818 (year 1988) and the second 2725 (year 1987) both in USA

regards Erwin

[Gerson W. Barbosa]

(03-04-2015 12:42 AM)TASP Wrote:  

(03-03-2015 10:07 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  Maybe it is. Does it have any interesting modules, backlit display, custom bezel, was it previously owned by the Pope?

32k ram, and a 41 translator. HP-IL module, no card reader. I do have the HP touchpad keyboard cover thingy. Apparently they are slightly rarish.

It smells like my garage a little. It was stored without batteries so the compartment is clean.

I have 2 port covers for sure, and the other 2 might be in the hardware box.

I barely used it, I definitely favored the 41.

Mine is 2709A00056. Common accessories only: 32K RAM and MATH ROM modules, card reader, HP-IL interface, AC adapter, vinyl case and 9114B floppy disk drive.

[Dave Frederickson]

(12-29-2017 07:10 AM)Gamo Wrote:  Lot of information about Palmtop here this might help.

http://www.palmtoppaper.com/ptphtml/ptp99.htm

Gamo

I'm familiar with the Palmtop Paper. As a matter of fact, I scanned every issue of The HP Palmtop Paper and The Portable Paper.

http://www.hpmuseum.net/exhibit.php?cont...le%20Paper

Unfortunately the 71B isn't a Palmtop.

Dave

[Dave Frederickson]

What we're trying to do now is narrow down the date codes at which the ROM revisions changed. Currently this is what we have:

1AAAA: 2401
1BBBB: 2404 - 2713
2CCCC: 2723 - 2745
2CDCC: 2750 - 3001

Last 1A IL Module: 8531
First 1B IL Module: 8603

If you have any units that narrow down the transition dates please share the info.

Dave

[CY-CL]

I also own:

2912 A 00153 - New in Box, never used!

2626 A 00108

[mcquiggi]

My 71b has a date code of 3001, and is serial number 00001.

Kevin

[rprosperi]

(06-09-2018 01:19 AM)mcquiggi Wrote:  My 71b has a date code of 3001, and is serial number 00001.

Kevin

A unit with s/n 3001A00176 was sold on eBay last year, so not quite the last one...

Do all the keys work? The guy selling that unit wouldn't answer many questions about it, it seemed like several keys were not working.

[mcquiggi]

(06-09-2018 02:53 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  

(06-09-2018 01:19 AM)mcquiggi Wrote:  My 71b has a date code of 3001, and is serial number 00001.

Kevin

A unit with s/n 3001A00176 was sold on eBay last year, so not quite the last one...

Do all the keys work? The guy selling that unit wouldn't answer many questions about it, it seemed like several keys were not working.

Hi:

I just received it today, but other than some initial flakiness with the F and G function keys, everything appears fine. After a few minutes they started to work consistently, and so far so good.

The unit is in pristine shape, in the original box. No manual or accessories though. I don't think that it was ever used. The behaviour I saw could be due to corrosion of the key contacts through 28 years of non-use.

If necessary I can disassemble and troubleshoot - I have several decades' experience in electronics. I have the service manual: the 'net seems to be well-stocked with '71B material.

Up til now my ~20 years of computer collecting has been in the DEC pdp-8, pdp-11 and VAX realm. I have about 30 old DEC systems, mostly functional.

I just have a fond history of HP calculators from my early years, liked the look of the '71B, and thought I'd try to acquire an example! Hmmm, it's a really nice little machine, I may take a detour into HP for a bit!

Thanks for the reply,

Kevin