HP15C Financial Calculator - Collector's Edition

I had one of these when they were originally launched, back in the early 1980s and loved it. I used it for my A’Levels and degree but sadly had it stolen. By then it was no longer available on the market. When I saw that a Collector’s Edition was available I was so excited.I was a little concerned that Amazon has it described as a Financial calculator but after looking carefully at the images and sending off a quick question it was confirmed that it was the 15c Scientific calculator so I had to buy it.The build quality is superb, the keys are so nice to use, the lcd is crisp and clear and the landscape, Voyager, format is such a joy to use. It also comes with a full and comprehensive manual, something of a rarity today.It might seem expensive for a scientific calculator but in fact it is worth every penny. It is a powerful scientific calculator with programming capability. Matrices, polar and stats are all available. And the RPN logic is so powerful and, once you’re used to it, is so intuitive. Since the calculator no longer has the sapphire on silicon NUT processor, the battery life might not be measured in decades but it will still be impressive.

I always wanted one of these and I am not disappointed with this re-release. It is much faster than the original version and it comes with a reprint of the original manual and a (fake) leather pouch. All in all a good buy!

I was so excited to see the release of this calculator. For years I've had a HP12c but always wanted to recapture my days in the engineering faculty with a Scientific HP.If you don't need alphanumerics this is probably one of the most powerful rpn calculators out there. The keys have a great tactile feel and the pause bug that plagued the earlier release is gone. There is a comprehensive manual similar to the original 80s manual and it comes with a soft leather slip case. All in a pretty display box. Very nice.The keys are also very well attached. Older HP calculators have key rattle when you shake them. Not the Collector's edition. It feels firm and well made.BUTThere is key bounce.Not very often ... but enough to make it unreliable. I usually look at the keys while typing and not at the display. OK if you're slow. But not OK if you are entering a fast sting of statistical data. It's easy to miss one or two bounces which mess up the entire calculation without you even realising it.Bounce seems to occur more when you don't release a key fully but keep light pressure on it.I initially thought there was a deep menu that contained an adjustment for bounce but that is only found in a 3rd party calculator called the PX15.If you're like me and just looking for nostalgia, you may be happy with this HP15c as it is. But if you're an engineer designing a bridge that people's lives depend on you may want to look at the Swiss Micros DM15L instead.There is however hope. Under the battery cover is a port for updating firmware. Indeed there is a company on the Internet that is offering to burn a modified firmware update of your choice (de-bounce is specifically mentioned) You can buy a modded 15c from them or send yours in to them BUT you will void your warranty. You choose.So, the HP15c Collector's edition is almost perfect ... but not.

I was looking forward to receiving my HP15C Collector’s Edition as a replacement for an original HP15C that was damaged by a leaking battery.However, I am extremely disappointed to find the HP15C LE sent to me suffers from a known problem with the keyboard. There is a “keyboard bounce” problem, that is sometimes pressing a key does not register, other times multiple entries of the number pressed appear on the screen or functions are applied multiple times. It happens at random. This means I have to pay close attention to correct entries or repeat calculations. With these issues I have no confidence the result of a calculation is correct.An earlier Amazon review also highlights this issue with the calculator. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to this.There is a discussion of the problem and a solution to fix it by applying a firmware upgrade, the details can be found by searching for HP calculator discussion/forum groups on the internet.Apart from downloading the updated firmware you need a specific interface cable. Also a download and software installation on your computer to transfer the firmware to the calculator. At the time of the review this software/firmware is free.However, the cable costs approx. 30 Euro’s, once taxes, shipping to the UK etc. are included. As far as I can tell Amazon do not sell the cable. So in order to fix the calculator that cost 110 GBP I now have to buy an expensive interface cable. There is also the risk that there is no guarantee the upgrade will work and I may invalidate any warranty I have. Hardly the experience I was expecting!I am disappointed that I have to criticise the product in this way. I have used HP calculators for many years without any issues. The presentation box and booklet are of good quality but in the end the calculator itself has a known fault.A replacement may have the same issue so I have returned the calculator and Amazon have agreed a refund.