Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!umd5!decuac!c3pe!spam
From: spam@c3pe.UUCP (John "Spam" Rehwinkel)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: hidden features
Message-ID: <338@c3pe.UUCP>
Date: 21 Jan 88 06:13:07 GMT
References: <268@stratix.UUCP> <4913@sol.ARPA> <9100@utzoo.UUCP> <2037@ttrdc.UUCP> <564@bearcat.rutgers.edu>
Organization: C3 Inc., Herndon, VA
Lines: 21
Summary: Free programmability on a calculator!

In article <564@bearcat.rutgers.edu>, lou@bearcat.rutgers.edu (Lou Steinberg) writes:
> In article <480@auvax.UUCP> rwa@auvax.UUCP (Ross Alexander) writes:
>> In article <9100@utzoo.UUCP>, henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes:
>>> Apparently, making one model of something is cheaper than making
>>> many models of something.  Then, simply charge extra for bringing these
>>> options to the surface.

	I aquired an old CompuCorp calculator a while ago with
a plasma (gas-discharge) display.  When I took this beastie apart
to fix it, I noticed several keyswitches on the top board that
didn't correspond to real keys.  Looking at the top cover, I
saw cutouts in the frame for the missing keys, just the adhesive
top sheet covered them.  I sliced holes in the top sheet for the
new-found switches, and started playing.  It develops that this
was a *programmable* calculator!  Probably an extremely expensive
"option" back when plasma displays were popular.  However, it was
still cheaper to make 'em all programmable and just sell some of
'em (with the "run" and "program" switches concealed) for a lower
price.  I was impressed.

					-- Spam
					..!decuac!c3pe!spam