Fascinating calculators!

[STS-741]

Since yesterday I am also the proud owner of an HP 35s and I have to say, it is a great device! At the moment I am not yet familiar with RPN mode, but if you do it intensively enough, you learn quickly. First I tried a few simple examples and then compared them in both modes. It quickly became apparent that the input in ALG mode is sometimes surprisingly unusual, such a cumbersome entry for such a simple example is strange. For a simple percentage calculation, no fewer than 13 keystrokes were necessary, actually unbelievable, on an old business calculator it is e.g. only 8! In RPN mode on the HP 35s the same example only required 9 keystrokes.

I guess that's a suitable preparation for my next calculator, from SwissMicros.

[grsbanks]

Whatever you do, please don't consider the HP35s as a yardstick of any kind. It's a machine that was outsourced to a Taiwanese outfit called Kinpo. They rushed it out the door with a load of bugs and then abandoned it for the next model they were to work on. The HP35s is not of the quality of older HP models.

https://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwra ... i?read=735

[STS-741]

Whatever you do, please don't consider the HP 35s as a yardstick of any kind. It's a machine that was outsourced to a Taiwanese outfit called Kinpo. They rushed it out the door with a load of bugs and then abandoned it for the next model they were to work on. The HP 35s is not of the quality of older HP models.

Thank you, but this is nothing new to me and will in no way tarnish my joy about my purchase. I know what role the calculator plays as a new edition compared to other pocket calculators, HP definitely didn't want to set any standards with it, so such little things are not a real problem for me. The linked website shows content from 2007 and was last edited in 2015, it's not even certain whether its content is still up to date. In addition, I see no real evidence that the information provided by the author has been fully confirmed by an independent body.

[HPMike]

Congratulations on your discovery of the magic world of RPN. The HP-35S is a good choice to get you educated on RPN without spending too much money. As @grsbanks said, it is not one of the best examples of HP RPN calculators, but it is certainly adequate to get you going. I own one, and frankly, use it very infrequently as I have many other much better calculators in my stable. When you finally get sufficient familiarity with RPN use and programming, then you should definitely take the plunge, and buy a SwissMicros calculator. My favorite is the DM42.

[Walter]

Whatever you do, please don't consider the HP 35s as a yardstick of any kind. It's a machine that was outsourced to a Taiwanese outfit called Kinpo. They rushed it out the door with a load of bugs and then abandoned it for the next model they were to work on. The HP 35s is not of the quality of older HP models.

... The linked website shows content from 2007 and was last edited in 2015, it's not even certain whether its content is still up to date. In addition, I see no real evidence that the information provided by the author has been fully confirmed by an independent body.

Alas, the website content of 2007 through 2015 is still the state of the art for the HP 35S since this model was never maintained nor updated (compare that to HP's habitude 40 years ago). Today, you can get the best "HP" calculators from HP no more but from "the RPN user community". Presently, I'd recommend the DM42 though more is going to come.

[STS-741]

@HPMike
Of course it's a shame if the manufacturer doesn't take care of his product and its maintenance, but I still believe that it can't be that bad when it sells so well. If the points of criticism mentioned were as sensitive as the author describes, then there would probably be harsh criticism from many more sides. But that's obviously not the case, otherwise I wouldn't have purchased the device. I had previously discovered the link shown above in the English Wikipedia, but for good reason paid little attention, since it's exactly what is called a "bad reference": a) if it's a private website and b) a thread for discussion in a public forum. That's why my enthusiasm for this little wonder is unbroken.

And yes, I'm here for the same reason as many others, I'm interested in SwissMicros pocket calculators and I think both devices, the DM41X and the DM42, are fantastic, so I'm watching the scene here to see how things go.

[edward]

I just purchased a DM41X and would recommend but the learning curve at least for me was/is steep.

What SM need to do is bring out a 50X... RPL reborn!!!

That would keep me occupied for life )))

[akaTB]

I just purchased a DM41X and would recommend but the learning curve at least for me was/is steep.

What SM need to do is bring out a 50X... RPL reborn!!!

That would keep me occupied for life )))

No way! RPL is doomed (as RPN was). And talk about learning curve...
Now wait another 20 years before someone resurrects it.

[toml_12953]

I just purchased a DM41X and would recommend but the learning curve at least for me was/is steep.

What SM need to do is bring out a 50X... RPL reborn!!!

That would keep me occupied for life )))

Hmm a steep learning curve means you can master something in a short time. A shallow learning curve means it's harder to master and takes more time.
The Y-axis is percent mastery and the X-axis is time. The steeper the curve, the shorter the time it takes to learn something.

[Walter]

I just purchased a DM41X and would recommend but the learning curve at least for me was/is steep.

What SM need to do is bring out a 50X... RPL reborn!!!

That would keep me occupied for life )))

Hmm a steep learning curve means you can master something in a short time. A shallow learning curve means it's harder to master and takes more time.
The Y-axis is percent mastery and the X-axis is time. The steeper the curve, the shorter the time it takes to learn something.

It's interpreted differently in these fora: a steep learning curve means a lot of effort, like climbing a mountain. More people like wandering uphill.