HP-35 is released (with a bug) and the first blu-ray players are launched. All on today’s On This Day from TEST Huddle.
1972 – HP-35: The first Handheld Calculator
In the U.S. Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduces the HP-35, the first handheld scientific calculator. The device takes its name from its thirty-five buttons. It’s release marks the beginning of the end of the widespread use of slide rules. Despite testing, several bugs will remain, most notably a rounding error in exponential functions. By the time the company will discover the bug, HP will have already sold twenty-five thousand units. An interesting story surrounding the story of the bugs was when Dave Packard broached the topic of the bugs, one of the group present suggested not telling the public, to which Packard responded by snapping a pencil and saying, “Who said that? We’re going to tell everyone and offer them, a replacement. It would be better to never make a dime of profit than to have a product out there with a problem”. The calculator retails for $395.
2006 – The first Blu-Ray Players
On This Day..in 2006 Both Philips and Samsung introduce the first Blu-Ray Players for the U.S. market at the Consumer Electronics Show. As well as this Philips also announces the all-in-one TripleWriter Blu-ray Disc drive for personal computers.
