HP 30b codename(s)?

[Joe Horn]

Searched but couldn't find the answer(s). Neither MoHPC's main page nor Craig Finseth's HPDATAbase have anything about the 20b or 30b.

The sticker on the back of each of the prototypes below seems to indicate that the codename for the 30b (or 20b?) was originally "Big Euro" (see photo on the left), but then it got changed to "Fox" (see photo on the right). Is this true, or am I misinterpreting these stickers? Or is the one on the left actually an HP 20b? (I don't know how to tell.)

Click each to see full-size photo. Notice the interesting difference in the right parenthesis key. The 30b does have a normal HP logo; its shiny silver finish was too reflective for the scanner to see it.

[Gene]

As I recall, the 20b was little euro and 30b was big euro.

The 20b had a great deal of software "design" work (in some ways, wish lists of things to add to its feature set) done in a hotel room in San Diego the Monday after an HHC conference back in 2008.

[John Cadick]

I recently got a 20b prototype. It has the same info on it that yours does except it is 44 of 80. Probably doesn’t help much but there it is.

[Tim Wessman]

Was actually little euro, mid euro and big euro from the start... (20b, 30b, 40b)

At some point Sam started calling the 30b "Fox". 10bII+ was dubbed "bluestar".

[Maximilian Hohmann]

(05-15-2018 04:16 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  ..., 40b)...

40b? Now I'm starting to get curious...

[Gene]

The 40b would have been a 30b with ability to interface with a PC. It would run code developed for the BEM (byte emulation machine or byte execution machine).

Somewhere, I have programs written to add features to it such as triangle solvers, base conversion, etc.

Sadly, it never saw the light of day. Emulation, yes. Physical, no.

[Mark Hardman]

(05-15-2018 04:55 PM)Gene Wrote:  Physical, no.

Hmm...

I can assure you that this is not true.

[Tim Wessman]

(05-15-2018 04:55 PM)Gene Wrote:  The 40b would have been a 30b with ability to interface with a PC. It would run code developed for the BEM (byte emulation machine or byte execution machine).

Somewhere, I have programs written to add features to it such as triangle solvers, base conversion, etc.

Sadly, it never saw the light of day. Emulation, yes. Physical, no.

A few units were produced and didn't end up getting scrapped. I think the number ever produced was down in the 10s range though.

You could click a button and send numbers directly to the PC (like in excel), and even treat it as an external keyboard/numberpad.

The idea was that all programming was done on the PC and the USB connection would load the programs/formulas/etc. We were working on an "app store" type thing to allow easy sharing, but it was just too early as HP didn't allow anything like that yet. With the problems of the 20/30b, it ended up getting halted.

[John Cadick]

(05-15-2018 04:16 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  Was actually little euro, mid euro and big euro from the start... (20b, 30b, 40b)

At some point Sam started calling the 30b "Fox". 10bII+ was dubbed "bluestar".

My 20b (TKS surprise provider <G>) says Big Euro and so does Joe's. When did it go from Little Euro to Big Euro?

John

[Tim Wessman]

I think the original plan was "Little Euro", "Big Euro" (40b) and then some quick units that didn't have the extra RAM or the USB in them yet were made using clear cases like that. These were labelled "Big Euro".

Then the "mid euro" was dubbed, and was started being called "Fox" at some point. Hence you see the "keypad" text on the ( ) key. The 30b was quicker to be made, but then the "Big Euro" was cancelled.

That "Keypad" label was replaced with "PRGM" on the non-usb unit (30b) that did see the light of day...

[Mark Hardman]

(05-15-2018 04:55 PM)Gene Wrote:  The 40b would have been a 30b with ability to interface with a PC.

Sadly, it never saw the light of day. Emulation, yes. Physical, no.

Here it is in the flesh! It is nearly identical to the HP 30b but has a mini-USB port top middle of the case.

[Joe Horn]

(05-15-2018 04:16 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  Was actually little euro, mid euro and big euro from the start... (20b, 30b, 40b)

At some point Sam started calling the 30b "Fox". 10bII+ was dubbed "bluestar".

Cool. If Sam called the 30b "Fox", did he likewise give an alternate nickname/codename to the 20b and/or 40b?

Many thanks to Gene, John, Tim, and Mark for all the great info in this thread!

[John Cadick]

(05-16-2018 01:50 AM)Mark Hardman Wrote:  

(05-15-2018 04:55 PM)Gene Wrote:  The 40b would have been a 30b with ability to interface with a PC.

Sadly, it never saw the light of day. Emulation, yes. Physical, no.

Here it is in the flesh! It is nearly identical to the HP 30b but has a mini-USB port top middle of the case.

I am green with envy, Mark.

[Joe Horn]

(05-15-2018 04:16 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  10bII+ was dubbed "bluestar".

Oh my goodness, I never noticed the "Bluestar" on the sticker on the back of this 10bII+ (self-test 5 reports Version "7-13-2010 2").