Vintage Tech: Part 2, HP selling “usability”
Prior to becoming a discount PC vendor, HP (formerly known as Hewlett Packard, the two names of the founders, in case you’re under 30) was an innovator of scientific equipment. They were the geek-vendor of choice, before the word geek was ever coined.
This 1969 ad sells the geek-tech on the strength of usability. Sort of…
To quote RetroThing…
“Solving even transcendental equations now becomes as simple as typing your name.” Quite true, if your name is Mr. Inverse Tangent. This crushingly complicated H-P 9100A scientific calculator retailed for a whopping £2,448 in 1969. Those who chose to wait another three years were able to pick up an HP-35 handheld for a much more reasonable £200.
Tags: HP, advertising, retro
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