HP-50G case puzzle

[rprosperi]

(12-03-2018 07:33 PM)ctrclckws Wrote:  The refurbished 50g that I purchased from Eric.. Serial # CNA701... with numbers and letters in the dots also has the HPK-49GPLUS (B) markings.

Very interesting. Assuming the conclusions noted above are correct, this implies there was a production run as late as Jan '17. Perhaps the refurbished units, if done by HP, are issued a new serial number during the refurb. process, which would likely be needed for warranty period verification.

@ctrclckws - Can you check your unit at the HP warranty checker site to see what it says the warranty period is?

[cdmackay]

one thing I thought about the warranty checker for mine was that it showed a warranty start date that matched the YWW part of the serial number.

Surely a warranty should start when I bought the item, not when it was made?

I wondered if this was because the 50g was already discontinued when I bought it.

[for peace of mind, Oxford Edu offered 2-year warranty on it regardless, although whether HP would honour that were a repair needed, I wonder… ]

[BartDB]

Another data point:

CNA9020xxxx

purchased in 2009. Does not have the marking on the back.

As for the length of the serial numbers, it seems the older serial numbers are longer with numbers only whilst the newer shorter ones have letters as well.

(12-04-2018 03:02 AM)cdmackay Wrote:  Surely a warranty should start when I bought the item, not when it was made?

Yes, which is why it is important to keep the purchase receipt (with serial number recorded) as proof of date of purchase.

As for "latest serial #" and "last manufacture":
Note that units probably get serial numbers when they are packaged, this may be many months after they have actually been produced. Also different parts may have been produced in different places, stockpiled for months before they actually get assembled into complete units. It could then be a while before the units get programmed, tested, serial numbered and packaged. So there can be quite a disparity between "when production ceased" and "when the last serial number was printed and applied".
.

[rprosperi]

(12-04-2018 03:02 AM)cdmackay Wrote:  Surely a warranty should start when I bought the item, not when it was made?

In addition to BartDB's comment, the date of manufacture is used for warranty claims/service if no proof of sales date is available. So if you bought a 50g and tossed out the receipt, then had a problem and made a claim during the first year, HP would still honor the warranty since they could verify the unit was less than 1 year old by the SN.

These days, products are not made months before packaging, as no contract mfr. wants the liability of the carrying costs of sitting on the inventory for that long. Today, with 'just in time manufacturing' planning and logistics, it's more like hours or, worst case, days.

Also, I think they would affix the SN label during mfg, rather than pkg (if done at different times) but I haven't been involved with this in a long time so perhaps things have changed.

[ctrclckws]

(12-04-2018 02:17 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  

(12-03-2018 07:33 PM)ctrclckws Wrote:  The refurbished 50g that I purchased from Eric.. Serial # CNA701... with numbers and letters in the dots also has the HPK-49GPLUS (B) markings.

Very interesting. Assuming the conclusions noted above are correct, this implies there was a production run as late as Jan '17. Perhaps the refurbished units, if done by HP, are issued a new serial number during the refurb. process, which would likely be needed for warranty period verification.

@ctrclckws - Can you check your unit at the HP warranty checker site to see what it says the warranty period is?

From HP's website for the refurbished unit. CNA70100xx
Start Date January 07, 2017
End Date January 06, 2018

And the new unit from Oxford Educational. CNA62800xx
Start Date July 16, 2016
End Date July 15, 2017

[cdmackay]

thanks for the replies to mine…

I wonder if Wikipedia's note that the 50g was discontinued in 2015 could stand an addition to note that it appears to have been manufactured up until early 2017?

[Jlouis]

(12-04-2018 07:50 PM)cdmackay Wrote:  thanks for the replies to mine…

I wonder if Wikipedia's note that the 50g was discontinued in 2015 could stand an addition to note that it appears to have been manufactured up until early 2017?

I think you can edit Wikipedia text, but you have to put reference or source of your information.

[cdmackay]

(12-04-2018 08:09 PM)Jlouis Wrote:  

(12-04-2018 07:50 PM)cdmackay Wrote:  thanks for the replies to mine…

I wonder if Wikipedia's note that the 50g was discontinued in 2015 could stand an addition to note that it appears to have been manufactured up until early 2017?

I think you can edit Wikipedia text, but you have to put reference or source of your information.

Yup, I've edited WP before. I was going to put this thread as the reference.

However, the reference format on that page is baroque in the extreme, so I've lost interest.

[ijabbott]

(12-04-2018 08:45 PM)cdmackay Wrote:  

(12-04-2018 08:09 PM)Jlouis Wrote:  I think you can edit Wikipedia text, but you have to put reference or source of your information.

Yup, I've edited WP before. I was going to put this thread as the reference.

However, the reference format on that page is baroque in the extreme, so I've lost interest.

I've added some references to posts in this discussion. Feel free to edit them and fix the commented-out authorship in the references.

[cdmackay]

(12-04-2018 09:14 PM)ijabbott Wrote:  I've added some references to posts in this discussion. Feel free to edit them and fix the commented-out authorship in the references.

perfect! thanks Ian.