My personal calculator history

[AnnoyedOne]

My own calculator history.

My first scientific was a TI-30 LED. That only lasted a few years, despite numerous attempts at repair by me, when the keyboard became unusable and it was discarded. A common issue with that model.

My next was a National Semiconductor NS-108. It had a "soft" keyboard but also had a mechanical power switch which had started having issues not long after I purchased the unit. I tried to fix it, many times, but after some 9-10 months I gave up and threw it away.

I then purchased a second-hand TI-55 LED from a newspaper classified ad. Unlike the previous two nothing ever failed (keyboard or power switch) but in March 1983 I saw a HP-15C in a shop. I had to beg for money, from a relative, to buy it but did a few weeks later. The (still working) TI-55 went into storage.

I'd seen the HP-41C but it was some 3x the price and didn't have as many "standard" features IMO and was larger etc.

In the summer of 1985/6 (I forget which) I purchased a HP-16C mail-order along with a few coworkers. At the time I was writing assembler code for 8 and 16-bit CPU's so it came in useful at times.

For decades I used both HP's in my career as as a professional EE. They went to work, daily, in a briefcase. To this day both still work although the HP-16C has "LCD bleed" which has never worsened over the decades.

In May 2002 I sold the TI-55 (and manuals), which was still working, on a popular auction site.

Out of pure nostalgia I purchased a used TI-30 in July 2013. A 9V battery unit (no NiCad battery pack or charger like my original). The last time I checked it was working.

This year my interest in the HP-15C was re-ignited and I looked at the SwissMicros DM15L and learned about the HP-15C LE. Then I discovered the HP-15C CE. After a lot of research/reading (here and elsewhere) I bought one in May 2024.

As a consequence of this I experienced nostalgia for the TI-55 and I ended up looking at the TI-55 III. A result of that was that I realised its limitations and discovered the similar HP-20S so I bought one of those in June 2024. Underrated IMO but it is algebraic vs RPN so most here won't even consider it. Plus it is considered a lowly "student" model.

Then a rekindled interest in the HP-12C (I'd never had a need for one) so I purchased a HP-12C+ really cheap in August 2024.

Now I'm back to the DM15L. If SwissMicros releases the 2-line firmware I may be poorer. And here we are some 6-7 weeks before Christmas. Dear Santa...

Probably obvious to many here but my interest is in the HP Voyager models. And to a lesser degree the Pioneers. IMHO they are true (shirt) pocket models. Those before (and after) are more handhelds IMO. Those two models also have LCD's and operate off cheap coin cells. IMO rechargeable's/chargers are more trouble than they're worth.

As an aside I also own two cheap solar only power 4 function units. One is in my car but some months ago it was missing so I bought another cheap. As it turned out I found the first beside the passenger seat. So the new one sits in a drawer unused. The old is a Canon LS-25H II and the new a Casio HS-4G.

A1