DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

This is the place to discuss the usage of DM1x/DM41 machines and to share any tips & tricks you may have stumbled across.

If discussing a specific model, please ensure that you prefix topic subjects with the model number this way:

[DM41] How to change the number of program steps available
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michel_b
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:07 pm

DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by michel_b »

Hi again,

The DM41L has different physical proportions compared to the original HP-41C/CX - and I like it much better :)

The keyboard is mostly the same if one considers that the original HP-41C's keyboard's bottom has been moved to the right part of the DM41L, and the original keyboard's top, plus top mode keys, has been moved to the left with minor rearrangements.

So far, so good.

I would personally have preferred that the -+x/ keys stay at the place where they are on the other Voyager models as it puzzles me much, but that would have probably made the DM41L more different from the original - and the original HP-41C owners and fanatics of the old HP keyboards since the days of the HP35 less happy - it seems that the rearrangement of the operation keys from the left to the right of the numbers has come with the Voyager series, and the matter or knowing whether the DM41L should be more of an HP-41C keyboard or more of a Voyager keyboard is surely a matter for philosophers.

I personally feel that, as the machine's global disposition shifted to Voyager's, the keyboard should have followed as well, but that's just a personal opinion.

However, contrary to basic number and shifted functions, the Alphabetical disposition of the DM41L has been completely redistributed - in a very puzzling way IMHO - compared to the original.

Reading the HP-41CX manual I saw that the [APPEND] function corresponds to [SHIFT]-K in Alpha Mode, and it is not labeled on the keyboard itself.

I tried on my DM41L to get this [APPEND] to no avail, until I decided to check an HP-41CX photograph to see that there, the K key is the Alpha mode of the [XEQ] key. Where on the DM41L, the K key is the Alpha mode of [CHS].

So well, following the manual I tried to type [SHIFT]-[XEQ] instead of [SHIFT]-[CHS], and to my pleasure it then worked.

But now I am wondering it there are still other such differences between the original and the clone, and if such differences are documented anywhere - or if I will have to proceeed with such kind of a guessing game...?

TIA for any help.
keithdalby
Posts: 564
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:38 pm

Re: DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by keithdalby »

They're on the back of the DM41L
michel_b
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:07 pm

Re: DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by michel_b »

Well I couldn't find [APPEND] there unless its symbol is this sort of ASCII sign : ⸠
grsbanks
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Re: DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by grsbanks »

michel_b wrote:
Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:40 pm
Well I couldn't find [APPEND] there unless its symbol is this sort of ASCII sign : ⸠
That's exactly what it is, and it's how it appears in a program. It's also how it appears on the label on the back of the HP-41CX.
IMG_20190206_135900.jpg
IMG_20190206_135900.jpg (75.87 KiB) Viewed 10540 times
There are only 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.
michel_b
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:07 pm

Re: DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by michel_b »

Uh. Ignorant /me :oops:
mezoganet
Posts: 124
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:54 pm
Location: Tours, France

Re: DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by mezoganet »

michel_b wrote:
Wed Feb 06, 2019 3:00 pm
Uh. Ignorant /me :oops:
Philosophy corner :

« Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn. »

Benjamin Franklin

So, you are not ignorant ;)
HP33E, HP34C, HP41C, HP16C, HP28S, HP42S, HP48S, HP12C, HP35S, DM42, DM41L, DM15L, DM41X (SN#15) and HP3000 @ work during 18 yrs as IT Mgr
keithdalby
Posts: 564
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:38 pm

Re: DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by keithdalby »

mezoganet wrote:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 4:49 pm
you are not ignorant ;)
Agreed
Peet
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:01 am
Location: Germany

Re: DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by Peet »

michel_b wrote:
Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:34 pm
I would personally have preferred that the -+x/ keys stay at the place where they are on the other Voyager models as it puzzles me much, but that would have probably made the DM41L more different from the original - and the original HP-41C owners and fanatics of the old HP keyboards since the days of the HP35 less happy - it seems that the rearrangement of the operation keys from the left to the right of the numbers has come with the Voyager series, and the matter or knowing whether the DM41L should be more of an HP-41C keyboard or more of a Voyager keyboard is surely a matter for philosophers.
I am an original HP-41CV owner and a "fanatic" of the old HP keyboard but one reason I was never realy interested in the DM41L was his terrible Layout. On Landscape-Design (e.g. HP97) it was traditional on HP-Calculators that you have /*-+ on the right. On Portrait-Design -+*/ on the left (e.g. HP67).

So it was only consequent, that the voyager-series (who's case-design is very similar to the HP71B btw.) had /*-+ on the right side. The keyboard layout of the DM41(L) is from both perspectives (modern/classic) very strange. :roll:
My programmable calculators - former: CBM PR100, HP41CV, HP28S, HP11C - current: HP48G(256kB), HP35S, Prime, DM41X, DM42
waspentalive
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Re: DM41L and HP-41C mystery keyboard differences

Post by waspentalive »

michel_b wrote:
Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:40 pm
Well I couldn't find [APPEND] there unless its symbol is this sort of ASCII sign : ⸠
If you look on the back of your DM41L - the legend shows the append glyph on the shifted "=" which resides on the XEQ key in alpha mode.
Please forgive me if this was already covered. I have a DM41L also. Excellent device.
Happy DM41L user. Missing my HP75 and my original HP41C.
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