May 2021 Speculations

General discussion about calculators, SwissMicros or otherwise
HPMike
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by HPMike »

rexbinary wrote:
Sat May 07, 2022 12:15 am
I'm not very familiar with the 32SII. I've read up a bit on it, but I can't seem to see what makes this particular model desirable when compared to the current available models? Would it be like a lower cost DM42? Maybe there is much more to it that hasn't been announced yet as well.
Apples and oranges. The HP 42s is a very powerful calculator, but it comes at the expense of complexity and many operations are not readily available on the keyboard. The HP 32Sii is a simpler calculator that offers less capability, but just about everything is found directly on the keyboard without having navigate through a maze of menus. For example, let's say you want to access the hyperbolic functions such as SINH. On the 32Sii you simply press [left shift][HYP][SIN]. On the 42s you have to press [shift][CATALOG][FCN][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][SINH]. Or, you could press [XEQ] and then type in SINH using the alpha menu. Or, you could set up a custom menu. Anyway, it is a lot more effort to access SINH on the 42s than it is on the 32Sii. So, if you need to do a lot of sophisticated programming, the the 42s is better, but if you are mostly doing direct manual calculations, then the 32Sii is better.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
Dave Britten
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by Dave Britten »

Count me interested.

My wish list (pure speculation based on the video):

- Lots of RAM (seems like it ought to be a given)
- Bitwise operators
- Algebraic/expression input mode like the 35S
- Local labels (LBL 0-9 referenced only within the current letter/global label), or at the very least, line-number addressing capability from the 35S
- Longer variable names would be nice, particularly in the solver - two or three characters would be sufficient

We'll see if any of those show up in the final product! :)
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rexbinary
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by rexbinary »

HPMike wrote:
Sat May 07, 2022 2:07 am
Apples and oranges. The HP 42s is a very powerful calculator, but it comes at the expense of complexity and many operations are not readily available on the keyboard. The HP 32Sii is a simpler calculator that offers less capability, but just about everything is found directly on the keyboard without having navigate through a maze of menus. For example, let's say you want to access the hyperbolic functions such as SINH. On the 32Sii you simply press [left shift][HYP][SIN]. On the 42s you have to press [shift][CATALOG][FCN][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][SINH]. Or, you could press [XEQ] and then type in SINH using the alpha menu. Or, you could set up a custom menu. Anyway, it is a lot more effort to access SINH on the 42s than it is on the 32Sii. So, if you need to do a lot of sophisticated programming, the the 42s is better, but if you are mostly doing direct manual calculations, then the 32Sii is better.
Thank you very much. You made it very easy to for me understand why this model exists, and why someone would want one.
DM32, DM41X, DM42, HP-35S, HP-32SII, HP-42S, HP-41CV, HP 95LX - EDIT: I seldom post without an edit.
rawi
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by rawi »

Michael Steinmann just annonced the DM 32:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqKYVa3lH6c
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akaTB
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by akaTB »

rawi wrote:
Sat May 07, 2022 9:14 am
Michael Steinmann just annonced the DM 32:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqKYVa3lH6c
Oh, really?
viewtopic.php?p=23010#p23010

:lol:
Greetings,
    Massimo
ajcaton
-+×÷ left is right and right is wrong :twisted: Casted in gold
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Drchiper
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by Drchiper »

Could this hint on the release date?
DM32.jpg
DM32.jpg (24.81 KiB) Viewed 2736 times
Peet
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by Peet »

Maybe the originally planned date for the video release
My programmable calculators - former: CBM PR100, HP41CV, HP28S, HP11C - current: HP48G(256kB), HP35S, Prime, DM41X, DM42
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Emy
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Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by Emy »

BruceH wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 11:15 pm

Hi Emy,

That's quite a "detailed" font that you've chosen. Are you sure the manufacturers are going to be able to print it accurately enough?

Regards,
Hi BruceH,

keen observation.

This typeface hasn't been chosen, it actually has been designed on purpose as our own keypad typeface. Its general shape, proportions and weight are all carefully crafted for use at the scale of calculator key labels. On top of this, it has those details you mention. These features of the contours are the consequence of the integration of both ink traps and corner extenders, which compensate for the limits of human eye perception and problems linked to ink viscosity and deposition in the print process.

The punched-out portions in the inner corners prevent ink "blotting" in these places, and corner extensions "pull" the angles a little bit outward to counter the natural smoothing which occurs because of how ink interacts with the substrate underneath. Thus, the "painted" shapes have a somewhat sharper overall contour when the ink has dried.

This also has a final optically enhancing effect, because the eye, when sensing such small shapes, tends to take the same "shortcuts" and reduces the perceived definition of the forms.

So, in this respect, these over-zoomed-in representations of keys are misleading; the idea is the user does not naturally perceive those features when holding the actual calculator at arm's length. To realize they exist, he or she must look for them actively, by focused inspection or using a magnifier. But it makes the whole keypad feel naturally sharper and cleaner.

It's nothing new. Actually, HP did use this very technique on older keypads (HP-41, early models of the Pioneer series, and probably others), using an (apparently) in-house modified design of Helvetica (for what I can tell). It's a shame that they eventually abandoned it, in my opinion.

The most famed example of ink traps in general typography is Bell Centennial, which was drawn for AT&T in the 70's to use in their phone directories. These books were printed in very large quantities, on poor quality paper which had a tendency to suck up ink, diffusing it in the paper fibers, altering legibility of letters, particularly on inner corners and closed shapes.

A truly "engineered" font! ;)
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inautilus
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by inautilus »

Such care and attention to detail ... SUBLIME !
Design excellence, a true homage to the HP design imperative.

Image

Here as well, such consideration.
D A MacDonald
Mar Eng, Designer, CANADA
HP35, HP41C, HP28S, HP35s. PC: HP15C, Free42, WP31S, WP34S
(Operators Right in bold)
"It is not the strongest or most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change ..." Darwin
vgoudreault
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Re: May 2022 Speculations

Post by vgoudreault »

Aren't the "+"and "÷" functions swapped from where they traditionally are on HP and DM calculators -- with the exception of the HP41/DM41X?
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