14-04-2020, 10:32 AM
These HP80 series machines are one of my passions. They followed on from the earlier HP electronic desktop calculators with screens that we have already seen above. I still use them occasionally to run test gear automatic calibration routines. Far quicker to organise than running HP-IB on an old PC.
And in 1980, enterprising engineers would order an HP85 "calculator" to avoid procurement issues for anything termed a "computer"!
In fact this series bridged the gap between the powerful HP programmable desktop calculators (ending up with the 9825) used to control automated test equipment and the much pricier minicomputer systems. The HP85 can act as a programmable calculator without any peripherals attached, as it has its own tape drive and printer. It runs HPBasic from ROM.
Also showing is my only proper mechanical calculator. My party piece is to show squaring of pi (3.141593) to 12 places, in just 20 seconds!
And a cheap and cheerful large-button Xerox calculator which is my daily workhorse. Large buttons (for elderly eyesight), ditto big digits, and a solar backup which means that the internal battery lasts 5-10 years.
And then of course there are a few slide-rules in the display cabinet. Look up the Graphoplex 698. A wonderful slide-rule that can do impedance and resonance calculations right on the slide-rule.
happy collecting...
Jeremy
And in 1980, enterprising engineers would order an HP85 "calculator" to avoid procurement issues for anything termed a "computer"!
In fact this series bridged the gap between the powerful HP programmable desktop calculators (ending up with the 9825) used to control automated test equipment and the much pricier minicomputer systems. The HP85 can act as a programmable calculator without any peripherals attached, as it has its own tape drive and printer. It runs HPBasic from ROM.
Also showing is my only proper mechanical calculator. My party piece is to show squaring of pi (3.141593) to 12 places, in just 20 seconds!
And a cheap and cheerful large-button Xerox calculator which is my daily workhorse. Large buttons (for elderly eyesight), ditto big digits, and a solar backup which means that the internal battery lasts 5-10 years.
And then of course there are a few slide-rules in the display cabinet. Look up the Graphoplex 698. A wonderful slide-rule that can do impedance and resonance calculations right on the slide-rule.
happy collecting...
Jeremy
Jeremy. G8MLK. BVWS Chairman. British Vintage Wireless and TV Museum Friend.
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