Industrial Design of TH55

[pavneet]

Is it just me, or others seeing echoes of older HP calculators in the design of the TH55. When I look at the curved edges where you palm would go, I see my HP49. And the dimpled/textured surface at least on the close ups of the black one is characteristic of every HP calculator I have had barring the quite awful Omnigo 100. Personally, I would be most happy if the PDA manufacturers completely did away with this faux metallic finish that scrubs off at the slightest use and go back to coloured high quality plastic. My old HP calculators don't show any wear and if dash boards can be made appealing to touch and to look at why not PDAs? This metallic design is pure camembert ;-).

My museum of HPs?

HP29C>HP34C>HP41CX>HP95LX>HP Omnigo 100>HP12C>HP17BII (Hey I went into finance)>HP48SX>HP49GX

which will be my last :-(. I knew my infatuation with HP had passed when after purchasing my Omnigo and unable to switch it into RPN, I called up the support number in Corvallis and the person at the other end asked me what RPN was !?!?!?!?

Thank god for Kalk!

[DanT]

I just unloaded my HP calculator collections (41CV, 41CX, and 32SII) in ebay for $400 to fund my new TH55. :D

[pavneet]

I remember reading a story, I think it was in IEEE, when the Y2K scare was in full force. The writer who was an engineer of their earliest financial calculators explained that even though memory was incredibly precious when those calculators were being designed, all date calculations on those machines were valid until the year 4096! No fooling around.

Without meaning to sound like an old fart, but no doubt doing so:

Those were the days ;) .

Cheers.

[pavneet]

Another echo, at least to me. The bit of jewellery surrounding the lens on the back: isn't it reminsicent of classic camera lens surrounds such as the Rollei and Leica?

This design definitely works. A pity about the pricing...


Also, an ergonomic question: If you are holding the TH55 in your hand what constitutes page up with the jog wheel on the back. I am guessing that the wheel represents the "paper" being viewed so rolling the wheel down in effect is pulling the "paper" up or scrolling the image up.

Interested ergonomics, but I think that it should work.

[zackepceo]

Sony actually uses metal... not just plastic. On my Tg, the only plastic parts are the battery cover, the very top around the ms slot, and the cover.

[pavneet]

Originally posted by zackepceo
Sony actually uses metal... not just plastic. On my Tg, the only plastic parts are the battery cover, the very top around the ms slot, and the cover.

Is that the case with the NX and UX series as well? My SJ is definitely faux.

Cheers.

[gklinger]

I too have fond memories of HP calculators and I'm not selling mine. :)

You guys know about Power48 (http://power48.mobilevoodoo.com/), right? It's very cool and it recently went release. You gotta try it out.

[pavneet]

I have old copies of the HP Journal from the mid- to late 1970s, and it is ironic to read some of the comments in those issues compared to how fragile some of our own gadgets seem.

There would be stories like this, then:

I had my HP67 bungie-corded to the back of my Yamaha bike, and I slipped on an oily patch and my bike went skidding and the HP67 ended up in the middle of the road. Just then a Liebherr T282 (about as big as a small aparment building) came by and drove right over it. I walked over and switched it on, and sure enough the thing worked. HP's are great...


Now:

My Clie has scratches in spite of it being wrapped in bubble-wrap all day long and being massaged in the finest Italian leather at night.

:D

OK, OK, folks no offense intended. Just wanted to point out how priorities are seemingly different (with both manufacturers and users).

Cheers.

[depret]

My HP41CV was dropped and the screen cracked. It has been working well for years. Last couple of years in moth balls.

SJ-20 is showing wear just like HP41CV. I would like to see more durable options.

[zackepceo]

Ladies and gentlemen... I give you... the impervious clie!
[cue the man with the clie that appears to be fashoned out of diamond]
All this can be yours for a mere..
Ten million dollars!

[xynos]

Originally posted by zackepceo
Ladies and gentlemen... I give you... the impervious clie!
[cue the man with the clie that appears to be fashoned out of diamond]
All this can be yours for a mere..
Ten million dollars!

that's better. Now Bill Gates can get a REAL PDA.

[zackepceo]

And then he markets the impervious pocket pc, except it costs $400 and the diamond is actually glass :O

[winexprt]

Originally posted by pavneet


Is that the case with the NX and UX series as well? My SJ is definitely faux.

Cheers.

Yeah. My NX80V is a mix of metal & good ole plastic. Of course the first parts to show signs of being worn were the plastic edges. Go figure! ;)