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Hewlett-Packard HP 30b Business Professional

Date of introduction:  August 2010 Display technology:  LCD dot matrix
New price:  $49.99 (SRP 2011) Display size:  8 characters, (12 + 3)
Size:  5.9" x 3.0" x 0.65"
 150 x 77 x 16 mm3
   
Weight:  3.9 ounces, 110 grams Serial No:  4CY 01400392
Batteries:  2*CR2032 Date of manufacture:  mth 04 year 2010
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  China
Precision:  15 Integrated circuits:  
Memories:  110    
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner

Hewlett Packard introduced in August with the HP 30b Business Professional a financial calculator centered between the HP 10bII and HP 17bII. At first glance the HP 30b seems to compete with the BA II PLUS Professional available since 2004 but it obviously offers much more bang for the bucks:

15 digit calculator precision versus 13 digits
Calculating with exponents up to ±499 versus ±99
Two-line display with 12 numerical digits versus one-line display with 10 numerical digits
7 regression models versus 4 regression models
Programming capability
Solver
...

Dismantling the Hewlett Packard 30b Business Professional is different from most other calculators. The battery cover extends over 80% of the calculator surface and allows access to three screws. The remaining 2 screws are hidden under two rubber feet. Inside we located a pretty common construction with a single printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB hides the single-chip calculating circuit under a small protection blob of black epoxy and drives the graphing display with a heat sealed fine-pitch connector.

Don't miss the related SmartCalc 300s introduced already in March 2009.


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If you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.

© Joerg Woerner, May 16, 2011. No reprints without written permission.