DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Discussion around the SwissMicros DM42 calculator
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Boub65
Posts: 231
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2017 4:34 pm
Location: Rabat, Morocco

DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Post by Boub65 »

I thought about a DM42 Deluxe Edition... or Limited Edition...

It would just have an improved bezel plate with two (three?) colors:
- ALPHA and all alpha characters would be in blue (done on the DM41X)
- Menus on the bezel would be somehow differentiated from non-menus (with a two tone inscription as on the original HP42s for example)
- the "Deluxe Edition" would cost more than the "normal" DM42 because manufacturing costs would be higher. it can also cost "much" more than the standard edition if it's a "Limited Edition" run with special serial numbers 😜
- customers can still buy the normal edition...

Who's in... if SwissMicros does it?
Last edited by Boub65 on Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sincèrement, Sincerely, 73,
Boubker

DM15L, DM41L, DM42 #00855 (domes upgraded), DM41X #00707
HP48SX (with dark screen), HP42s, HP32SII (1990 with fraction bug), HP41C/CV
TI-89 titanium, CASIO fx-cg50 and Numworks (to play with micropython)
gorang
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2021 8:12 pm

Re: DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Post by gorang »

I would definitely be interested! Assuming a nice design and color scheme, for a reasonable price difference, I'd most probably be buying it too.
HP 48GX, HP Prime
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RAPo
Posts: 290
Joined: Wed May 03, 2017 6:54 pm
Location: The Netherlands
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Re: DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Post by RAPo »

Nay. The DM42 is good as it is. Money would go to a 43s id Swiss micros decides to build it.
DM41X beta: SN00018.
DM41X: SN00496.
DM42 beta: SN00074.
DM42:SN06020.
DM42 converted to C47 SN08973
DM10L: SN056/100.
DM11L: SN 02058.
DM15L: SN2074.
DM16L: SN2156.
DM15, DM16, DM41
and a whole bunch of the original HP's,
Peet
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:01 am
Location: Germany

Re: DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Post by Peet »

The DM42 (the cheap one of the two flagship calculators) is one of the most expensive calculators on the market. It costs more than an HP Prime and a 12C Platinum combined and almost ten times as much as a good scientific Casio calculator. But the build quality and attention to detail are only enough for nostalgic people and people without taste. Compared to real branded products, however, the layout is more of a cheek. I see Swissmicros calculors as luxury products, but as they are now, still a long way from premium.

In order to get the products ready for the market for the first time, RPN Calculator fans can forgive the amateur quality and the "missing" design (I prefer to have the products as they are rather than "perfect" ones only in a few years), but a manufacturer should improve previous flaws not in a special series, but with their regular product-line. The proposed improvements should flow into the normal series and be taken for granted with products in this price range.

Therefore I find it particularly unfortunate that the key labels on the new edition are even significantly worse than on the first model.
My programmable calculators - former: CBM PR100, HP41CV, HP28S, HP11C - current: HP48G(256kB), HP35S, Prime, DM41X, DM42
Boub65
Posts: 231
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2017 4:34 pm
Location: Rabat, Morocco

Re: DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Post by Boub65 »

I don't agree with you @Peet...
My DM41X (and certainly the new batches of DM42) is one of the best built calculators there is... the screen is just fantastic, the keyboard good and better than my TI or CASIO calculators, and it is just a slick, well designed and well built calculator...

TI and Casio screens are just junk : you can almost count the individual pixels on mine! They are heavy and bulky, they look cheap... and there is no "click" when you press a key!!!

I have an early DM42, and I agree... the faceplate is not top notch neither the keyboard... but the DM42 plateform is fantastic... that's why I am on my way to get a new DM42 with new keyboard and new faceplate.

SwissMicros, and especially Michael stand behind their customers... I have had to "incidents" on one of my DM15L and my DM41L... and I reveived "parts" from Michael to solve my "incidents" in no time (and I live in Morocco!) and for free!

I program regularly on my DM42, from time to time on my CASIO because it's my only calc with micropyton, and NEVER on my TI!

So... I would buy a DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition with improved faceplate as soon as it hits the market... No question about it!

I will also buy their next "entry, RPN, key stroke programmable, with limited menus" calculator as soon as it hits the market because my prefered calculator is still the DM15L!
Sincèrement, Sincerely, 73,
Boubker

DM15L, DM41L, DM42 #00855 (domes upgraded), DM41X #00707
HP48SX (with dark screen), HP42s, HP32SII (1990 with fraction bug), HP41C/CV
TI-89 titanium, CASIO fx-cg50 and Numworks (to play with micropython)
Peet
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:01 am
Location: Germany

Re: DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Post by Peet »

Boub65 wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:47 pm
I don't agree with you @Peet...
Facts are not an opinion, you can see them in an other light but not disagree. Incidentally, I have not criticized anything you praise in your posting.

I never said anything about the Quality of the Components. The screen is amazing, the keyboard nearly as good as a 48 but with "build quality" I mean other things. The metal base plate on both my DM41X and my DM42 protrudes on the top with a sharp edge. The prints on the buttons of the DM42 are not elegant and the labels are not correctly placed (sometimes left, sometimes right, rarely centered). The feet are attached in such a way that the calculator wobbles when operated. Then there is the crack in the bezel, the micro usb port that is too far inside an so on.

The calculators operates well an I like both of them but a there are a little design-flaws in the software as well (eg. the not-refresh of the status-display on the DM41X while running programs or an empty function key on the DM42). Even when there are explaint or there is an after market solution I think such things are implemented carelessly. As I said before, better to have them now in this imperfect form then not to have them but these weaknesses exist.
My programmable calculators - former: CBM PR100, HP41CV, HP28S, HP11C - current: HP48G(256kB), HP35S, Prime, DM41X, DM42
michar
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:32 pm

Re: DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Post by michar »

The metal base plate on both my DM41X and my DM42 protrudes on the top with a sharp edge. The prints on the buttons of the DM42 are not elegant and the labels are not correctly placed (sometimes left, sometimes right, rarely centered).
So interesting: you have exactly the same issues as I do! I love the calculator - it's so close to perfect. But:

1 design issue - split switches on the ENTER key (*definitely* expensive to fix).
1 design issue - printing on faceplate: letters to the right of keys are currently *more* prominent than the secondary key functions (printed above each key), as they are in caps+bold. Would love to see these printed with less contrast than the secondary key functions -- in a lighter/smaller font and a lower-contrast color (There's a reason why they weren't shown on the original 42s!). And the secondary functions are not consistently aligned with the keys themselves. (relatively cheap to fix this entire issue)
1 design/manufacturing issue - (metal half shell protrudes beyond mate - probably expensive to fix but maybe can be pushed onto the manufacturer)

My complaints fall into the "OMG it's 99.5% perfect - but because it's so great, the flaws appear larger".
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: DM42 Deluxe Edition or Limited Edition

Post by HPMike »

My biggest problem with the DM42 is that the keyboard on the early versions is very high effort, and the inability or unwillingness of SM to make a kit available to retrofit the newer much better keyboard that is used in the current version. :x
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
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