Way back in 1972 when I was a freshman in Electrical Engineering at NC State we used a thing called a "Slide Rule". I had a small one made by Post and a larger K&E. The speed at which you could perform calculations on the slip stick was a sure sign of your engineering manlyness.

One of my suitemates in the dorm had a Bowmar calculator. It was cool but couldn't replace the slide rule because it would only do basic arithmatic functions. Engineers have to be able to do trig so the Bomar was just a toy.

Near the end of that year a wonderous device appeared on the shelf at the NCSU bookstore. It was a calculator made by Hewlett Packard. Not just any calculator mind you but the world's first electronic slide rule! The mighty HP35. At a lofty price of $399 it was WAY over my budget but, I had to have one. Between my savings and help from my folks, I laid down the cash and brought it home.

This thing went with me everywhere. There wasn't an engineering problem I couldn't solve with the mighty HP35. We even learned that if you typed in the numbers 07734 and turned the calculator upsidedown it would say HELLO! See, it was more than just a plastic box with electronics inside, it had personality. Other calculators couldn't do this. You couldn't type a leading zero into the Bomar. It would just drop the zero and you'd be left with 7734. What good it that? The HP used RPN (Reverse Polish Notation)...very cool.

Attached are some pics of my HP35. It still works. (the battery died years ago and it's doubtful another can be found). Ahh, those were the days.

For all you geeks, here's some interesting reading about the HP35 from the HP museum:
http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp35.htm

HP is planning a year-long celebration:
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/070402a.html

Attached Thumbnails

     

__________________
Bill Wood - Retired Webmaster
My Personal Website
1998 Mercedes E430
2010 Toyota Sequoia
My Photo Albums

RPN rules!!!!

FWIW, I still had a working HP25C up until about 5 years ago. Awesome tools.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

It does. No need for silly brackets.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Classic! Love the case.

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

This brings back memories, Bill.

I had the exact same decision to make in 1974 and, I too purchased the HP-35 at the same lofty price. It was a fine calculator and it still sits in its pouch in the desk drawer without suitable batteries. It's tasks have been overshadowed with the much more capable $50 Casios.

I should try to find some batteries for it.........somebody has to make them.

Here ya go guys -

HP-35 batteries

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Thanks Chris.

30 seconds later, they are on the way.........got to love the internet.

np!

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Family thinks I'm nuts. They can't understand my love of RPN. I have a very old Novus mathematician. Great machines. Runs on a nine volt and I still use it. Got it back in 1978 I think. I have a shortcut to an RPN calc. program sitting on my computer desktop.

...batteries on order.

__________________
Bill Wood - Retired Webmaster
My Personal Website
1998 Mercedes E430
2010 Toyota Sequoia
My Photo Albums

That should be pn don'tcha know?

__________________
You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Man that brought back some memories. I remember the HP35.

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Jim

One of my co-workers had one in 1972. I was green with envy as I sat there pushing the old Pickett dual-base log-log back and forth...

I bought an HP-41 in 1980 or so, and still prefer it to any 'modern' calculator.

I used the 41 so much that RPN is 2nd nature.

We had contests to see who could solve a problem with the fewest keystrokes, and therefore the most elegant lines of programming.

but, I digress... time for my nap.

lol, the time before modern electronics... My first calculator with more than the basic functions was the TI-86.. My 7th grade prealgebra teacher had no ideas of the capabilities of the thing, and I pretty much solved every single problem on everything with it for the whole year... In the 11th grade now, and have upgraded to the TI-89, which I'm not allowed to use on tests in precal , still got the good ole 86 for that... Considering getting myself a TI-83 and case swapping with the 89 when I need to... Taking AP Calculus next year, so the 89 will come in handy, allowed to use it in that class...

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Ich liebe meine Autos!

1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL | Megasquirt MS3-Pro | 722.6 transmission w/ AMG paddles | Feind Motorsports Sway Bar | Stinger VIP Radar | AntiLaser Priority | PLX Wideband O2 | 150A Alternator | Cat Delete
1981 Mercedes-Benz 300SD | Blown engine, rebuilding someday...
1981 Mercedes-Benz 300SD | Rear ended, retired in garage.
2009 Yamaha AR230HO | Das Boot

Excessive speeding? It ain't excessive till I redline!

My dad bought me one way back when and I still have my HP-35. I learned on RPN and the register stack. I also got the 'math pack' book which really taught me how to use it. I can't use a regular calculator because they don't use RPN and don't have the stack. RPN is just so natural to use.

I also have an HP-16C programmers Hex calculator, also octal.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.