I still use an HP15C I was given in 1983...I was one of the few kids in my AP Physics class who didn't have an HP calc (15C or 41C for the rich kids) and I insisted my mother rectify that situation after my TI55II freaked out during a quiz and cost me 10 points.
Mom almost lost it when she saw the 15C was $90, but I was adamant about it...great investment, needs batteries about every 10 years and still works great despite the nameplate falling off, the rubber feet disappearing, and the math aids on the back being totally worn off.
I was working at Motorola when one of the TAC phones came out and they let everybody in our lab use one for a week with free calls. I took mine to my dad's house, handed it to him, and told him to make a call. He asked what I was talking about and told him it was a phone and to open it up and make a call, even just for the time.
I thought he would think it was so cool...
he snapped the thing shut and told me to get it away from him.
I think the world was changing way too fast for him...
One of my coworkers took his out of state and made dozens and dozens of calls all around the country with it. That was very expensive at the time and he got a little talking to, but, in his defense, nobody told him he couldn't do that with the phone.