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Comment by seanhunter | Hacker News Reader

As I sit here I look at my HP-35S and HP-12C calculators that I have on my desk. My 12-C in particular is about 15 years old and still on its original battery. I remember fondly the HP-85a that I learned programming on when I was 8 years old or so. HP used to make amazingly great hardware. The first HP laserjet printers were an absolute marvel. It makes me so sad what has happened to HP.

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Back in the days when HP was a scientific-equipment company, everything they made was built like a tank. Still have fond memories of the HP-7475A plotter.

There is no sadder story in American capitalism than the decline of HP from a wonderful equipment engineering company to a racket for selling tiny little tubs of overpriced ink. Think a young Steve Jobs would be excited to get a job there now?

Boeing, perhaps. The same thing happened there, as I understand it.

There’s also a strong argument for post-Jobs Apple being an even more tragic arc (that’s earlier on the curve). Time will tell. These things happen on the order of decades, not years.

Brain drain is real.

Good point! At least the sad husk of HP isn't killing people.

When’s the last time Boeing killed anyone?

In 2019 in Ethiopia.

That was largely the pilots, same as in Indonesia.

Uhm not sure about the exact date but Boeing Defense produces military aircraft so probably not too long ago.

What's this about Boeing?

Aside from the Max/MCAS fiasco, my remaining respect for Boeing went out the window because I live near one of their plants. Middle of the pandemic, they had employees protesting about mask and vaccine mandates out front, for weeks on end.

You're hiring people that scientifically dense to assemble hundred-million-dollar, high-precision death machines? I hope Airbus has a better HR team.

“Scientifically dense” is the first time I’ve heard that particular slur. Go back to your bubble where no one ever questions authority. (Boeing is a terrible company for a myriad of other reasons but you picked probably the worst example)

I have an HP-35S at work and an HP-28S at home. The '28 I bought in 1989 so it's 34 years old now. The plastic has cracked near the battery door (as they all seem to do) and the display is losing contrast, but I'm okay with it because 30+ years is a pretty good run. Nothing lasts forever.

Earlier this year I started to look around for a replacement calculator and found that HP just released a collector's edition version of the HP-15C. I bought one and so far I'm very happy with it. It feels well made, it's fast, and I enjoy using it.

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