Price of an HP 9100B in Switzerland (1971)

[Jurgen Keller]

I found a price list of HP 9100 items from Hewlett-Packard (Schweiz) AG dated April 1971 which inspired me to create the picture below. You'll find more details (including the price list as a PDF document) in my blog.

[GVHOVE]

Jürgen,

Great comparison !

But ... assuming you have a pristine 9100B in your collection ... would you NOW swap it for ONE car from the 70’ies ?

Btw: what is a BEAM DISPLAY ?


Regards,

GVHOVE

[Thomas Okken]

(03-09-2019 12:37 PM)GVHOVE Wrote:  Btw: what is a BEAM DISPLAY ?

From http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp9100.htm

Quote:Large Display

The HP 9150A provided a 19" display of the calculator's stack. This was intended for instructional use. (Price unknown.)

"Beam" as in Cathode Ray Tube, presumably.

Note to Dave Hicks: now we know its price: CHF 5300 plus tax.

[Jurgen Keller]

(03-09-2019 12:37 PM)GVHOVE Wrote:  But ... assuming you have a pristine 9100B in your collection ... would you NOW swap it for ONE car from the 70’ies ?

Actually I own both, the A and B. Not pristine, but working. However, I wouldn't swap them for a vintage car. At some point I have to think about what to do with them but hopefully this moment is still far away.

(03-09-2019 12:37 PM)GVHOVE Wrote:  Btw: what is a BEAM DISPLAY ?

You can see one in action in this video, e.g. at around 17:20. A quite a big device to show the contents of the X,Y and Z registers.

I know only of one such display that has survived in the Computer Museum of the University of Amsterdam. It looks like the museum can only be visited on written request. I'd really like to see one in action.

[Geoff Quickfall]

What a great ad!

I bought my 1974 5 speed Celica for 3000 USd in 1975, the HP 9825a WAS 5900$!

Still have the Celica, and now I have the 9825a fully working.

Geoff

[Jurgen Keller]

(03-09-2019 01:25 PM)Thomas Okken Wrote:  

(03-09-2019 12:37 PM)GVHOVE Wrote:  Btw: what is a BEAM DISPLAY ?

...
Note to Dave Hicks: now we know its price: CHF 5300 plus tax.

I wonder if any was sold here in Switzerland. I guess, no.

The last row in the price list also says that the 9100 calculator needs a modification to connect it to the 9150A, no VGA connectors at those times :-)

[GVHOVE]

Jürgen,

Thx for sharing that YouTube link ... love it ...

PS: that BEAM DISPLAY sounds like the Holy Grail for HP9100 owners, but how would one recognize it when you see it ? Unsuspicious owners might not even know what kind of treasure they hold and just dump it as “old stuff” ... sadly. That’s how I got some of my most precious HP-41 peripherals 15-20 years ago, they were in a ‘bundle of other stuff’, not even mentioned in the add.


Regards,

GVHOVE