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HP calculators sales volume
04-21-2019, 01:57 PM
Post: #1
HP calculators sales volume
Hello all!

I'm working on a university assignment about the first HP pocket calculators, and I wonder if someone here may have a rough estimate of the number of units sold, specially for the first models (mainly those on the Classic and Woodstock series; Spice and Coconut quantities may also be nice to have). I learnt that the break-even ponit for the HP-35 was 10.000 units but it sold 100.000 units on its first year!

I'm usually interested about technical aspects, but this time I need more business-side data.

Thank you very much in advance, best regards.

Andrés C. Rodríguez (Argentina)

Please disregard idiomatic mistakes.
My posts are mostly from old memories, not from current research.
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04-27-2019, 10:34 AM
Post: #2
RE: HP calculators sales volume
Looking for something else I accidentally stumbled over this report from February 1975:
https://www.sliderulemuseum.com/Calculat...eb1975.pdf

On page 4 the author mentions 300,000 HP-35 sold (so far).
HTH
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04-27-2019, 03:56 PM
Post: #3
RE: HP calculators sales volume
Thank you! The whole article is good reading and it contains useful information for me.

Andrés C. Rodríguez (Argentina)

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My posts are mostly from old memories, not from current research.
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04-29-2019, 12:06 AM (This post was last modified: 04-29-2019 12:07 AM by burkhard.)
Post: #4
RE: HP calculators sales volume
(04-27-2019 10:34 AM)AndiGer Wrote:  Looking for something else I accidentally stumbled over this report from February 1975:
https://www.sliderulemuseum.com/Calculat...eb1975.pdf

"Prices will fall further, but not so dramatically..."

And then came the TI-30 the next year (1976) for ≈$25. Ooops.
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04-29-2019, 01:21 PM
Post: #5
RE: HP calculators sales volume
(04-27-2019 10:34 AM)AndiGer Wrote:  This report from February 1975:
https://www.sliderulemuseum.com/Calculat...eb1975.pdf

It is available today's calculator's price breakdown?
We made a rough and quick estimation in 2016: here (sorry, Hungarian) and the total was approx. 2200HUF~4500HUF per pcs under 100 manufactured units (eg. 8~15 USD per pcs as per Hungarian prices and today's dollar) based on MSP430 without housing.

Any breakdowns?!
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05-12-2019, 04:12 PM
Post: #6
Study on Rockwell from 1975
(04-21-2019 01:57 PM)Andres Wrote:  ... estimate of the number of units sold, specially for the first models
...
...I need more business-side data.
...
This 1975 document (from Harvard Business School) focuses on Rockwell, but makes reference to all their major competitors. It should provide some useful figures, with estimated HP unit sales from 1974 given as .35 - .45 Million.

Alan
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05-13-2019, 10:12 PM
Post: #7
RE: HP calculators sales volume
Thank you!

Andrés C. Rodríguez (Argentina)

Please disregard idiomatic mistakes.
My posts are mostly from old memories, not from current research.
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05-14-2019, 06:00 PM
Post: #8
RE: HP calculators sales volume
(05-12-2019 04:12 PM)striegel Wrote:  
(04-21-2019 01:57 PM)Andres Wrote:  ... estimate of the number of units sold, specially for the first models
...
...I need more business-side data.
...
This 1975 document (from Harvard Business School) focuses on Rockwell, but makes reference to all their major competitors. It should provide some useful figures, with estimated HP unit sales from 1974 given as .35 - .45 Million.

Alan

A great quote which teaches a lesson that emerging technology prognostication by 'experts' (even for the near future!) is really really tough:

"Industry estimates as to when the market would reach saturation were mixed. One source stated the saturation level would be 1 to 1.3 calculators per household... He estimated the average life span of a calculator to be about three years..."
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