HP 39gs without serial number – worry? - Printable Version +- HP Forums (https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum) +-- Forum: HP Calculators (and very old HP Computers) (/forum-3.html) +--- Forum: General Forum (/forum-4.html) +--- Thread: HP 39gs without serial number – worry? (/thread-18825.html) |
HP 39gs without serial number – worry? - metawops - 09-15-2022 02:24 PM Greetings fellow HP calculator nerds! ? I just acquired a "new" (not really) HP 39gs which was missing in my little collection. I noticed very soon that the serial number sticker on the back was missing. Strange ... but maybe it just got loose. However, when I did the "hold + and - and the reset button for app. 3 seconds" trick I saw this on the screen: [attachment=11111] So the calculator actually has no serial number! Bummer! How can this be? What did I buy? Is it genuine HP? How would I know? Do I need to worry? Or do I have a rare special collector's item? ? Curious ... Any hints? RE: HP 39gs without serial number – worry? - BillBee - 09-15-2022 02:40 PM I did read that there were fakes. No sticker and no serial #s. https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-10551-page-2.html But, I've not seen one and cannot confirm. -B RE: HP 39gs without serial number – worry? - ijabbott - 09-15-2022 08:38 PM Question is, how much did you pay for it? Mine is the same version and no serial number. I originally got it to play around with NewRPL, but never got round to it! RE: HP 39gs without serial number – worry? - ijabbott - 09-15-2022 09:06 PM Incidentally, now every time I turn my HP 39gs on (which I had not used for a year or so previously) it beeps and displays this message for about 3 seconds: Code: Warning: Any idea what that means? The only unusual thing I have installed is the RPN aplet. RE: HP 39gs without serial number – worry? - rprosperi - 09-15-2022 11:39 PM I've heard conjecture that the manufacturer that made these machines for HP, let a few 'slip out the back door', and these would almost certainly have no serial numbers as including them would only make them easier to trace. Perhaps this is just someone's fantasy, but it seems to fit the facts, and this would not be the first time a manufacturer, Chinese or otherwise, resorted to such tactics to help pay the bills. End of the day, if you got it cheap, ignore these comments and move along, enjoying your new machine. RE: HP 39gs without serial number – worry? - SammysHP - 09-16-2022 04:48 PM Either some extra production, or the first units when they still adjusted the process. Or they were rejected in quality control (mine has a display issues and I've seen some with scratches etc). For only $15 they were awesome. What you can find now costs much more. RE: HP 39gs without serial number – worry? - lmamakos - 09-17-2022 01:11 AM I bought a number of cheap HP 39gs calculators from China that were missing the serial number plate on the back. They seem identical enough to a "real" HP 39gs that I was able to install newRPL on them, and it works just fine. |