HELP: DM41X or WP43S?

General discussion about calculators, SwissMicros or otherwise
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CRH
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Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:17 pm
Location: Brooklyn NY, USA

HELP: DM41X or WP43S?

Post by CRH »

I own several DM42 calculators. I have learned that SwissMicros plans to create a new calculator that uses the WP43S operating system. This version I would love to purchase. But I am now confused. I also see SwissMicros has just released the new DM41X calculator with the DMCP operating system, and its keyboard better laid out to use the WP43S operating system. I know nothing about the DMCP operating system. I want to make an intelligent purchase.

I wish to purchase a SwissMicros calculator that uses the WP43S operating system. Should I wait for that SwissMicros’ calculator, or is the DM41X to be the calculator that uses WP43S?
gmac42
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Re: HELP: DM41X or WP43S?

Post by gmac42 »

If all you want is a WP43S, wait for the WP43S - the DM41X is a different thing.
You cannot buy a calculator with the WP43S keyboard layout yet.

The DM42, DM41X and the WP43S all use the same hardware platform with the same underlying operating system (DMCP).
The calculator software itself is a program that runs on top of the DMCP operating system.
All three have very different keyboard layouts, so a DM41X won't really help you any more than a DM42 would.
DM41X #542, DM42 #650, DM41L #801, HP 41CX, HP 41CV, HP 50G, HP11C, TI 89
rprosperi
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Re: HELP: DM41X or WP43S?

Post by rprosperi »

CRH wrote:
Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:36 pm
I own several DM42 calculators. I have learned that SwissMicros plans to create a new calculator that uses the WP43S operating system. This version I would love to purchase. But I am now confused. I also see SwissMicros has just released the new DM41X calculator with the DMCP operating system, and its keyboard better laid out to use the WP43S operating system. I know nothing about the DMCP operating system. I want to make an intelligent purchase.

I wish to purchase a SwissMicros calculator that uses the WP43S operating system. Should I wait for that SwissMicros’ calculator, or is the DM41X to be the calculator that uses WP43S?
On these machines the user does not interact with an"operating system" at all, the user interacts (nearly) exclusively with the Calculator applications, specifically the DM versions of the 41C, 42S and 43S. The best analogy to understand the DMCP "operating system" would be to compare it the BIOS on a PC. It's the firmware APIs which applications use to access the hardware resources in a h/w independent way.

As gmac42 said, each of these models will have a unique keyboard/bezel design, matched to the calculator application loaded when it's sold as this model or that model.

In addition to those 3 models, a team of only a few amazingly diligent and hard-working guys, that want to run 43S software sooner than the 43S final version will be ready, have adapted a modified version of the partially completed 43S s/w to run on a physically unmodified DM42 chassis, using the default 42 keyboard/labels with fairly different menu layouts than the 'standard' 43S application will adopt, due to the differences in the basic platforms. This fork goes by the name "WP43C", and in a sense, this violates the simple rule noted above (where each model has a different and unique keyboard layout).

Initially this project was seen as a temporary way to use the partially complete 43S s/w, which is in many ways superior to the 41C or 42S, until the 43S is released. But the many unique and innovative enhancements made by that team, not constrained by the core 43S model, have led to an interesting and attractive alternative and I would not be surprised if that fork remains a valid "4th choice" for many users even after the final 43S is released.

Ultimately, if you want pretty much exaclty what the 43S offers, I'd agree you should wait for it to be completed. But if you want to start to explore much of what the 43S promises, you could install the WP43C fork onto one of your DM42s now, and get an early taste. If you don't like it, you can simply re-flash it back to a 'normal' DM42.

Probably a longer reply than you wanted or needed, but lots of people here are starting to ask similar questions, so I took the time to address a larger view of the issues. Hope it helped.
--bob p

DM42: β00071 & 00282, DM41X: β00071 & 00656, DM10L: 071/100
CRH
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Location: Brooklyn NY, USA

Re: HELP: DM41X or WP43S?

Post by CRH »

Thank you, gmac42 and rprosperi, for your responses. I much appreciate your answers.

I will wait for the SwissMicros calculator version that supports and runs WP43S. And in the meantime, as you mentioned rprosperi, I'll use WP43C in one or two of my many DM42s.

I also wish to thank SwissMicros for the excellent hardware and the teams building the WP43S and WP43C operating systems for their hard work.

To finally have an RPN calculator that I am proud to own and use in my Physics and Mathematics work inspires me to carry on. I will say: if you build quality, I will purchase it with many thanks.
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Walter
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Re: HELP: DM41X or WP43S?

Post by Walter »

Just to give you the full picture (almost): You can try the WP43S and C on your computer using simulators. And you can flash a DM42 or DM41X you own with the respective firmware and experience its present state on the real device; for the WP43S you will need an overlay and some key stickers - find both in the WP43S Reference Manual. In either case, you can return to your original device as Bob explained.
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
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