upgrade your PC

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 15 Feb 2004 1:33 am

For the price of only a few dozen cell phones, you can have it all.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 15 Feb 2004 9:52 am

What year was that, Earnest? (Is it a push-pull computer?

)

Note the number "4913 shades of color". Very odd! It's 17 cubed. I suspect that it was 4 bits per primary (16 levels), plus an on/off toggle. So a red value of 0 would emit the darkest red, not black.

The modern "16 million colors" is actually 256^3 = 16777216. If today's hardware designers added on/off toggles like that old HP, they could brag about having 197,377 more colors than their competitors. Think anyone could see the difference?

------------------
<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 15 Feb 2004 9:59 am

I thought it would be fun if you all can guess the date.
And I hope you noticed the price.

mickd · Post by **mickd** » 15 Feb 2004 10:44 am

I'll go for 1984

Jeff Agnew · Post by **Jeff Agnew** » 16 Feb 2004 7:21 am

1978-ish.

The price was a little steep, even back then. But sheesh, with all that memory who would ever need anything more?

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 16 Feb 2004 9:14 am

HP 45C ?? I interesting puzzel...
My guess : 1981

Facts that I base my guess on:
1.There was an early hand held calculator called the HP-45. It was available when I bought a HP-21C calculator in 1976.

2. I worked with HP-85 minicomputers in 1982. They had an IEEE bus and were great for industrial controls. They looked more modern than this HP-45C.

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 16 Feb 2004 10:27 am

My HP21C calculator was $200.
The HP45 was $400.

Jeff Agnew · Post by **Jeff Agnew** » 16 Feb 2004 10:47 am

Okay. I'm revising my guess to 1980. Or 1980-ish

-- since your ad showed the "C" model and not the original, which I'm still pretty sure was 1978.

Either way, this must have been its Mommy.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 16 Feb 2004 12:34 pm

In college in 1974, I paid about $200 for a Texas Instruments calculator so I could pass my physical science course. Today it would cost about $10.00.

www.genejones.com

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 16 Feb 2004 1:40 pm

Yessireee... In 1973 I bought a Radio Shack 4 function calculator, cost $79 and was as big as a book. Then in 1974, to compete with (keep up with) my fellow engineering students carrying HP35's and HP45's I bought the TI SR-50 for $179. Theirs were $350 and $450 each respectively. HP's were Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) which I never could be fond of after TI's Algebraic Operating System (AOS). Had to take the plunge 'cause there was no way a slip-stick wielding undergrad could keep up with the gadget bearing number crunchers. Over time the calculator had a significant influence on engineering course test content and number of questions. Several years ago a Casio FX-750 LCD calculator could be had at Sears that did the same thing and more for $6.99.
About 75 ft from my desk is an HP 45C desktop computer with HPIB accessories in pieces in boxes. The last time it ran was 9 years ago. But... the HP3054A Data Acquisition head that it was originally tied to runs GREAT tied to an HPIB driver card in a PC. Reads voltages to 6 decimal places (if you keep your fingers out of the way :>)

We bought the HP45C in about 1983-84[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 16 February 2004 at 01:46 PM.][This message was edited by Ray Minich on 16 February 2004 at 01:49 PM.]

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 20 Feb 2004 6:39 pm

Ray: I have a question on an unrelated matter and will send you an email. This is to alert you so you'll know it's legit and not spam.

Ken
Zebadia_1

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 22 Feb 2004 11:13 am

Here's a history of the HP 7800 series computers.

David Mullis · Post by **David Mullis** » 2 Mar 2004 5:40 am

$39,000!?!?!?!? No thank you! I'll stick with my TRS 80!!