May 2021 Speculations

General discussion about calculators, SwissMicros or otherwise
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by HPMike »

48GX wrote:
Wed Jun 02, 2021 2:47 am
A 35s but a little different?
I detest the HP 35s. They've taken something like rectangular to polar conversions, which used to be a simple one keystroke operation, and made it a complicated and convoluted mess involving complex numbers. Even the HP 33s didn't do this. And the HP 35s can't do matrix math, something even the ancient HP 15c could do. But this is all moot, since the HP 35s is still in production, and therefore protected from copying.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
gmac42
Posts: 103
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:30 am

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by gmac42 »

[HP 35S] Yeah, I bought one of those a few years back. I thought, neat, a modern-ish HP RPN calculator! Boy, was I wrong. It looks appealing to classic HP users because of its design and, you know, RPN. But it is utterly cheaply made, which includes the buggy-as-hell (and non-updatable) firmware. It was a thorough disappointment, and I sold it after a week or two.
DM41X #542, DM42 #650, DM41L #801, HP 41CX, HP 41CV, HP 50G, HP11C, TI 89
User avatar
48GX
Posts: 180
Joined: Wed May 20, 2020 4:37 am

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by 48GX »

Both are harsh reviews from my point-of-view. Gets the daily number crunching done. It is allowed on all of the professional test exams I have to maintain and is RPN. Each to their own.
Waiting for SM to release DM42 hardware with one additional row of keys.
DM42, DB48X, DM32, HP42s, DM41X, HP35s, DM41L
Raising a next generation RPN/RPL user.
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by HPMike »

48GX wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 5:04 pm
Both are harsh reviews from my point-of-view. Gets the daily number crunching done. It is allowed on all of the professional test exams I have to maintain and is RPN. Each to their own.
Sure, it gets the job done, but there are many much better choices. For example, the HP 32SII is basically the same calculator as the HP 35s, but much better quality, better designed and a lot less buggy. I still use mine that was provided to me at my job, and that they graciously let me keep when I retired. :D

Just out of curiosity, are calculators with matrix math not allowed on professional test exams where you live ? When I took my PE, we were required to use a slide rule. :lol:
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
User avatar
48GX
Posts: 180
Joined: Wed May 20, 2020 4:37 am

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by 48GX »

Unsure how calculators are determined to be fit or unfit for exams. I am a 48GX user but that calculator was not allowed on any exams after leaving college. FE, PE, etc. no go.

My 48 calcs are dying more frequently and the 35s is in production and a nice pocket calculator. I have the DM42 for a few programs I need once a week or so.

Ive never found the 35s to be buggie.
Waiting for SM to release DM42 hardware with one additional row of keys.
DM42, DB48X, DM32, HP42s, DM41X, HP35s, DM41L
Raising a next generation RPN/RPL user.
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by HPMike »

48GX wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 6:22 pm
Ive never found the 35s to be buggie.
https://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwra ... i?read=735
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
gmac42
Posts: 103
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:30 am

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by gmac42 »

Ha, HPMike beat me to it; I was going to post the same link.
Especially #9 drove me nuts, although admittedly other bugs can potentially have much worse consequences.
I don't want to spoil your fun if you like the device, though. I just didn't like it, and I'm happy as never before with my 41X now.
DM41X #542, DM42 #650, DM41L #801, HP 41CX, HP 41CV, HP 50G, HP11C, TI 89
User avatar
Walter
Posts: 3070
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 11:13 am
Location: On a mission close to DRS, Germany

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by Walter »

HPMike wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 4:04 pm
EdPi314 wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:44 pm
Newbie to this forum. I am Eddie W. Shore from the MoHPC forum.

I am thinking that the next calculator would be on the lines of the HP 25C or HP 45. Whatever the model is, I look forward to what SwissMicros does next. :D
... It could be the HP 25C, but not the HP 45, because the latter is not keystroke programmable. Frankly, I don't see why anyone would want to go backwards from the magnificent HP 15C (DM15L), which is keystroke programmable with no menus, and offers complex math, matrix math, root solver, integration, linear regression, coordinate conversion, statistics, hyperbolic functions, etc. ...
Don't want to cut down the merits of the 15C but 'no menus' isn't true. IMO it has two menus: TEST & MATRIX. And it features the outdated keycode programming paradigm. And complex numbers and matrices on a 10-digit 7-segment display...

I concur with Eddie: For the essential calculations, something on the lines of the 25C or 29C would do. Add L.R. and most people will be happy. And readable program steps (NO keycodes) would be the cream on the coffee.
WP43 SN00000, 34S, and 31S for obvious reasons; HP-35, 45, ..., 35S, 15CE, DM16L S/N# 00093, DM42β SN:00041
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by HPMike »

Walter wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:22 pm
HPMike wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 4:04 pm
EdPi314 wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:44 pm
Newbie to this forum. I am Eddie W. Shore from the MoHPC forum.

I am thinking that the next calculator would be on the lines of the HP 25C or HP 45. Whatever the model is, I look forward to what SwissMicros does next. :D
... It could be the HP 25C, but not the HP 45, because the latter is not keystroke programmable. Frankly, I don't see why anyone would want to go backwards from the magnificent HP 15C (DM15L), which is keystroke programmable with no menus, and offers complex math, matrix math, root solver, integration, linear regression, coordinate conversion, statistics, hyperbolic functions, etc. ...
Don't want to cut down the merits of the 15C but 'no menus' isn't true. IMO it has two menus: TEST & MATRIX. And it features the outdated keycode programming paradigm. And complex numbers and matrices on a 10-digit 7-segment display...

I concur with Eddie: For the essential calculations, something on the lines of the 25C or 29C would do. Add L.R. and most people will be happy. And readable program steps (NO keycodes) would be the cream on the coffee.
Yes, technically TEST and MATRIX are menus, but the values are conveniently listed on the back of the calculator, so it's not like you have to be fumbling throughout the manual to find them. Also, they are only used during programming, so all operations used during normal manual use can be accessed without using any menus.

So, you'd be happy not having hyperbolic functions, because the HP 25c and HP 29c lack hyperbolic functions. How about a root solver ? At the very least, I'd want the capabilities of a HP 34C, except it does not have hyperbolic functions, which brings us back to the HP 15C ! Matrix operations may not matter to you, but they are essential to me, and the sad fact is that you have to go all the way up to the HP 42s to find them beyond the HP 15c.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: May 2021 Speculations

Post by HPMike »

Duplicate post
Last edited by HPMike on Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
Post Reply