[VA] Good News, Everyone: Announcing my brand-new HP-related site !

[Valentin Albillo]

 
Hi, all:
      
Paraphrasing Futurama's Prof. Farnsworth, I want to let you know about some potentially "Good News for Everyone !" in the HP-calc fan community, which has been long in the making and I'm putting it into public awareness with this very post. Details:

The news is that it seems I've finally succeeded at putting all my calc-related materials online again, after a decade or two of unavailability when my ancient web site (which was free and so hopelessly add-ridden) just disappeared, which I ignored for a while as I had some bad experiences re HP-calc matters and further I was quite busy with big, real-life professional projects.

However, after a number of years the wounds somewhat healed and I was bitten again by the HP-calc bug so I tried to create a new web site to upload my materials, most especially programs and articles, in order for them to be available for free, for all intested people to download and presumably enjoy. However, I was unable to find the correct site which fulfilled my requirements about cost (zero) and ease of use, among others.

Fortunately, Eric Rechlin offered to help me achieve that and it seems this time all will work fine as he's made some provisions for me to upload my materials to one of his servers, which will then be automatically placed in a web site, complete with text descriptions, thumbnails and the corresponding links to download each and every file. In short, eventually all my calc materials will be available on a permanent basis in some pretty stable server of his, for everyone interested to be able to download them for free, and so I'm including the link to the main page here and also in my signature, to act as a permanent reminder of their location.

As a first, initial batch, I've already uploaded the following materials in the specified sections and subsections (descriptions for each section are included in their respective pages) :

      HP Calculators

            HP Calculator Articles                  32 articles (32 files)
            HP Calculator Programs                  10 programs (10 files)

            HP Calculator Challenges

                  Short & Sweet Math Challenges     24 S&SMC (31 files)
                  Mini-Challenges                   40 Mini-C (40 files)
                  Semi-Regular Columns               5 SRC (10 files)

            HP Calculator Pictures                  23 pictures (23 files)
            HP Calculator Selected Threads          51 threads (51 files)

      Sharp Pocket Computers

            Sharp Programs                           6 programs (6 files)
            Sharp Pictures                          15 pictures (15 files)
            Sharp Selected Threads                   2 threads (2 files)

      Other Brands

            Other Pictures                           1 picture (1 file )

      Assorted Miscellaneous

            Miscellaneous Pictures

                  Tutorial images                   26 pictures (26 files)
                  Sample Videos                      5 videos (5 files)
                  Image Gallery                     70 pictures (70 files)
                  The Icing of the Cake              2 pictures (2 files)

                        Total:      221 Calc + 103 Misc = 324 files

Some notes:

• All documents are in PDF format and all images are in JPG format.
• Currently these are the only types of files in the site, in particular there aren't any executables of any kind.
• The site itself is plain-vanilla HTML and doesn't include Javascript or any type of scripting or fancy tricks, just text, thumbnails and links to download.
• And of course, everything's free and no adds or nuisances of any kind whatsoever, it's as simple as it gets.
• This is a work in progress and I intend to upload additional materials once per week (available time permitting) and will timely announce each update here.

Both the current (and future) contents (will) include already published/released materials, carefully compiled here for utmost convenience and completeness, but also materials which have never been published or released, including already existing ones as well as any new ones I've recently created or will create in the near future.

I've been searching my many boxes of old materials at home (some stored undisturbed for 40 years) and I'm finding lots and lots of old but (IMHO) very interesting materials aplenty, so this first batch is to be followed by a number of them. The materials I plan to upload to the site include the following:

• Many (more than 300) old but very interesting, quite complex programs for such calcs as the HP-25, HP-34C (two whole Solution Books and more), HP-35S, all Voyagers, HP-67/97, HP-41C, HP-42S, HP-71B, SHARP PC-1211, SHARP PC-1350/1360 and compatibles, and for old computers as well (ZX-81 both in Sinclair BASIC and Z80 Assembler, etc, HP85, HP-86/87, HP-9816/26/36, HP-150, HP Vectra, etc.). The vast majority have never been published or made available before in any way.
   
• Many (100+) good quality photographs of assorted calcs from my collection, both HP and non-HP including somewhat rare models. Ditto, most pics never seen before. All include full descriptions and even anecdotical data where appropriate.
   
• Scans of the many calculator (and old computers) brochures I have in my collection, most of them in perfect shape, some of them quite rare, the majority are in English, a minority in Spanish, and one or two in French (!). These include RPN "educational" brochures, "educational" tutorials for HP financial models, many HP calcs form the HP-35 to the HP-71B, some SHARP models, the HP-85 family, Sinclair ZX81, etc.
   
• Raw scans of my old paper notebooks of 40+ years ago, from the time I acquired my first calculator onwards, page by page. Most of these are handwritten (clear, legible caligraphy) and in Spanish, but the (mostly mathematical) program listings, register contents, program status, formulas and many worked examples can be easily understood and used by non-Spanish speakers. This will be a reasonable way to have these materials available online, just in case, while I go on about translating them from physical paper handwritten Spanish to digital PDF typewritten English (possibly with the help of others).
   
• Lots of assorted additional documentation, scans, math-related articles (hand-made symbolic math), etc. Ditto.
   
• Additional selected MoHP threads in PDF format which include posts either by me or about my materials (e.g.: vintage threads discussing and analyzing the results when dealing with my tough AM matrices, etc). These are already available in the MoHP Archives but this compilation in one place will save tons and tons of searching efforts, they are in convenient PDF format which can be read without being connected to the Internet, plus they're carefully selected for interest and lasting value.
   
• and last but not least ... I'll upload all the articles (about a dozen) I wrote in 2007 intended for due publication in some fan magazine but that I never submitted after my subscription expired. They're very good quality and truly deserve to see the light (one of the best was specifically written to commemorate my 50th birthday but most regrettably to a drawer it went).

Of course, any new articles or materials I might create in the near or distant future will be uploaded as well, and I have tons of those in various states of completion. I could mention a few of the very best, even revolutionary, but I don't want to spoil the surprises !

At any rate, uploading this many materials will take a lot of effort and thus a lot of time, since the quota of free time I can allocate to this is sure to take its toll. This is work for years to come.

Thanks for reading, hope you all enjoy the site, and best regards. Have a nice weekend.

V.
 
(Oh, I almost forgot, the link ! ... )

Valentin Albillo's HP Collection
      

[Ángel Martin]

Congrats on the opening of your new web site, it's packed with gems and jewels and I'm sure it'll make the delight of lots of folks looking to peruse and study the materials included on the site. Looking forward to seeing it grow even further!

Cheers,
'AM

[Werner]

Well now, THAT is good news indeed!
Thanks a million, Valentin!

Cheers, Werner

[Massimo Gnerucci]

Thanks a lot Valentin!
I am sure there's a lot of interesting stuff already there...

[PeterP]

Fantastic news, Valentin! I'm so glad (selfishly) that the wounds healed and you are once again sharing your incredibly knowledge, insight, and fun adventures with the rest of the world. Its a treasure trove to behold!

Cheers

PeterP

[BartDB]

Thank you Valentin. Sharing your work like this is much appreciated, as is the time and effort put into it.

[John Keith]

Thanks from me as well, Valentin, and thanks also to Eric for hosting!

[JurgenRo]

Thanks a lot, Valentin!
Best Wishes,
Juergen

[hibiki]

Valentin, your series of "Long Live ..." articles are my preferred and I always return to read and read them again. Hope you write more in the future.
Thank you for storing all material in one site.

[Rob W]

Hi Valentin,

I mostly just lurk on the MoHPC forum but I noticed your announcement, followed the link, and discovered a terrific little short story, Time Voyager

I loved it, thanks for sharing.

-Rob

[MattGreer]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

[Luigi Vampa]

Gracias Maestro :O)

[Siegfried]

Thanks for sharing!

[Gamo]

Thanks for sharing !!!

Gamo

[aurelio]

Congrats +1
Thanks a lot, Valentin

[NoEqualsButton]

Valentin,

Wow, so much good stuff in there. Your photographs are beautiful! Pure HP porn. Especially the HP-25 - just perfect.

[Martin Hepperle]

Thank you, Valentin!

Very nice and useful.

Me, never being content: maybe you find some of your HP-85 stuff and the time to put something about it on your site? Your Othello game is well known, but maybe there is more...

Martin

[J-F Garnier]

Valentin, I bookmarked your site and will visit it regularly for new material. I may, if you don't mind, add links in my site to some of your resources - mainly HP-71B related :-)

I already enjoyed the VA026 - Boldly Going - Matrix Square Root and the VA711 - HP-71B Exact Integer Determinants and Permanents articles that I didn't know yet.

Thanks!

J-F

[Valentin Albillo]

.
Hi, all:

Thanks a lot for your interest and kind comments, much appreciated ! I'll now reply to each of you in turn in this one post so that I don't litter the thread with 16+ posts, scroll down to find your quotation and read on:

(09-20-2019 05:28 AM)Ángel Martin Wrote:  Congrats on the opening of your new web site, it's packed with gems and jewels and I'm sure it'll make the delight of lots of folks looking to peruse and study the materials included on the site. Looking forward to seeing it grow even further!

Thanks a lot, Ángel, it will steadily grow on a weekly basis approximately, real-life obligations permitting.

(09-20-2019 05:54 AM)Werner Wrote:  Well now, THAT is good news indeed! Thanks a million, Valentin!

Thanks to you for your continued interest, Werner.

(09-20-2019 05:58 AM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  Thanks a lot Valentin! I am sure there's a lot of interesting stuff already there...

I hope so, even for me there's lots of interesting material in the selected threads, and many new materials never seen before.

(09-20-2019 08:16 AM)PeterP Wrote:  Fantastic news, Valentin! I'm so glad (selfishly) that the wounds healed and you are once again sharing your incredibly knowledge, insight, and fun adventures with the rest of the world. Its a treasure trove to behold!

Well, the wounds never healed but I decided to ignore them and go ahead full steam. Thanks for your very kind comments and your continued appreciation since very, very long.

(09-20-2019 09:33 AM)BartDB Wrote:  Thank you Valentin. Sharing your work like this is much appreciated, as is the time and effort put into it.

Thanks a lot for your interest and yes, it took quite a while to select and compile everything, write the new documentation and all the detailed descriptions and links, upload it all, and check it out thoroughly. Indeed !

(09-20-2019 11:47 AM)John Keith Wrote:  Thanks from me as well, Valentin, and thanks also to Eric for hosting!

Thanks for your appreciation and yes, Erich is much to be praised for his astonishing generosity and hard work which has allowed me to put my materials online once again after a decade-long hiatus.

(09-20-2019 06:39 PM)JurgenRo Wrote:  Thanks a lot, Valentin!
Best Wishes

Thanks for your appreciation, Jurgen.

(09-20-2019 08:44 PM)hibiki Wrote:  Valentin, your series of "Long Live ..." articles are my preferred and I always return to read and read them again. Hope you write more in the future. Thank you for storing all material in one site.

Storing it all in one piece was one of my main goals, so that articles, threads, etc., are not scattered here and there all over the Intenet, and incomplete at that. Now everything I've ever done or said HP-related will be immediately available, no search needed, no pieces missing.

And yes, I have more than a dozen unpublished articles and two more I've created while vacationing this year. I hope you'll find them interesting as well, thanks for your appreciation and (very flattering !) comments.

(09-20-2019 08:51 PM)Rob W Wrote:  Hi Valentin,I mostly just lurk on the MoHPC forum but I noticed your announcement, followed the link, and discovered a terrific little short story, Time Voyager
I loved it, thanks for sharing.

Why, thank you for your appreciation, this is about the one and only HP-related short story I've ever written and I did enjoy a lot writing it, so I'm glad it's found its audience. Thanks for letting me now.

(09-20-2019 09:28 PM)MattGreer Wrote:  Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees !! Thanks for your appreciation, Matt.

(09-20-2019 09:33 PM)Luigi Vampa Wrote:  Gracias Maestro :O)

No hay de qué, Luigi, gracias a tí por tu interés. (You're welcome, Luigi, thanks to you for your interest).

(09-21-2019 05:39 AM)Siegfried Wrote:  Thanks for sharing!

My pleasure, Siegfried, hope you like the contents and thanks for your appreciation.

(09-21-2019 08:17 AM)Gamo Wrote:  Thanks for sharing !!!

Thanks for your interest, Gamo, I really hope you'll find worthy materials for you there, which may inspire you to study, run, and even use them for your particular purposes.

(09-21-2019 08:42 AM)aurelio Wrote:  Congrats +1. Thanks a lot, Valentin

Thanks +10, aurelio.

(09-24-2019 04:01 AM)NoEqualsButton Wrote:  Wow, so much good stuff in there. Your photographs are beautiful! Pure HP porn. Especially the HP-25 - just perfect.

He he, I agree, my HP-25 came out looking really great in these pictures, what with that wonderful old-fashioned red LED display. Black LEDs, as in the HP-41C, were more convenient as far as not depleting the batteries so fast but then they couldn't be used in low light or utter darkness, which is when I used and enjoyed my HP-25 and HP-67 the most, in bed at night. The HP-41C ended that.

Thanks for your appreciation and highly non-standard comment.

(09-24-2019 08:12 AM)Martin Hepperle Wrote:  Thank you, Valentin!
Very nice and useful. Me, never being content: maybe you find some of your HP-85 stuff and the time to put something about it on your site? Your Othello game is well known, but maybe there is more...

Yes, certainly there is more, I'll try and locate it and eventually (though not soon) it will be featured in the site. I have first to buy a new PC and a scanner for it, my old PCs all died suddenly and my excellent Canon scanner has no drivers for anything newer than Win XP, courtesy of Canon which would have you buy a new scanner instead of releasing drivers for modern OS. Talk about "planned obsolescence".

(09-24-2019 11:23 AM)J-F Garnier Wrote:  Valentin, I bookmarked your site and will visit it regularly for new material. I may, if you don't mind, add links in my site to some of your resources - mainly HP-71B related :-)

I already enjoyed the VA026 - Boldly Going - Matrix Square Root and the VA711 - HP-71B Exact Integer Determinants and Permanents articles that I didn't know yet.

Thanks for your appreciation, J-F, I was missing some comment from you but it was worth the wait. Of course you have my permission to add any links to my resources in your site, or to mirror it completely. As long as my materials are provided for free, non-profit, the more dissemination the better.

As for the articles you mention, the first one is indeed an article. The second one (about determinants) is not an article, it's simply a program, just documented in scholarly-paper (think arxiv) style.

Best regards.
V.

[G.E.]

Hello,
Thank you so much for this treasure trove, master ingenuity is everywhere and all is a joy to read.

By the way, if I dare, we would really welcome anything from you for inclusion in our journal "La Gazette des Pocketicaires", whose number 12 is about to be published. It's in French but this constraint doesn't apply to you (or other people here willing to participate). If this is inappropriate, just ignore the idea.

In the meantime, I have things to read !
G.E.