Future version of DM32 using a complex data type?

Discussion around the SwissMicros DM32 calculator
Pyjam
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Re: Future version of DM32 using a complex data type?

Post by Pyjam »

Aardwolf wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 11:06 am
Imho, if not a complex data type, at least just support the left-out functions the same way as now: it makes no sense that x^y is supported but e.g. x^2 is not.

It would totally not be feature creep to support it for inverse trig, hyperbolics and their inverses, sqrt, x^2, 10^x, log10(x), abs, etc..., if anything it feels more like feature creep to implement an error message for those instead of just returning x^2 if you already have x^y implemented, and have the user guess which ones are supported and which not (like, trig is supported but inverse trig not? why?)
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rprosperi
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Location: New York

Re: Future version of DM32 using a complex data type?

Post by rprosperi »

Aardwolf wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 11:06 am
Imho, if not a complex data type, at least just support the left-out functions the same way as now: it makes no sense that x^y is supported but e.g. x^2 is not.

It would totally not be feature creep to support it for inverse trig, hyperbolics and their inverses, sqrt, x^2, 10^x, log10(x), abs, etc..., if anything it feels more like feature creep to implement an error message for those instead of just returning x^2 if you already have x^y implemented, and have the user guess which ones are supported and which not (like, trig is supported but inverse trig not? why?)
The 32Sii was designed primarily for High School students, and although clearly usable for some college and even some working engineers, HP chose to not over-complicate the 32Sii's UI design by adding in 10-20 more functions; the keyboard and UI is already quite full. If a user needed such features, other models were available which offered richer feature sets like these. There is no need or benefit to cram all such features into a mid-range product.
--bob p

DM42: β00071 & 00282, DM41X: β00071 & 00656, DM10L: 071/100
Aardwolf
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun May 21, 2023 9:38 am

Re: Future version of DM32 using a complex data type?

Post by Aardwolf »

> the keyboard and UI is already quite full

It literally takes no extra keyboard keys or mental understanding, to give the correct result, instead of showing an error, when try to execute asin or cosh on a complex number.

If anything, it takes more mental baggage to have to remember which set of functions HP has chosen to support complex numbers with, and which ones not, as opposed to simply supporting it for all that make sense.
rprosperi
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Location: New York

Re: Future version of DM32 using a complex data type?

Post by rprosperi »

Aardwolf wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 2:40 pm
> the keyboard and UI is already quite full

It literally takes no extra keyboard keys or mental understanding, to give the correct result, instead of showing an error, when try to execute asin or cosh on a complex number.

If anything, it takes more mental baggage to have to remember which set of functions HP has chosen to support complex numbers with, and which ones not, as opposed to simply supporting it for all that make sense.
I guess there are 2 points to make here:

1. You're preaching to HP engineers who are unknown and in any case long gone and not listening, and

2. I assume they implemented all the features that made sense, to them. It is likely that 95%+ of the target users for the 32Sii never even heard of or had use for these other functions.

Also, your good point that x^y is supported while x^2 is not suggests there possibly was shortage of ROM space?
--bob p

DM42: β00071 & 00282, DM41X: β00071 & 00656, DM10L: 071/100
Aardwolf
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun May 21, 2023 9:38 am

Re: Future version of DM32 using a complex data type?

Post by Aardwolf »

> 1. You're preaching to HP engineers who are unknown and in any case long gone and not listening, and

Huh no, to DM32! Afaik they're not emulating the original HP calculator but have a re-implementation, so could fix any features that make sense to improve it. This improvement would make it so amazing!
rprosperi
Posts: 1703
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:48 pm
Location: New York

Re: Future version of DM32 using a complex data type?

Post by rprosperi »

Aardwolf wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 3:06 pm
> 1. You're preaching to HP engineers who are unknown and in any case long gone and not listening, and

Huh no, to DM32! Afaik they're not emulating the original HP calculator but have a re-implementation, so could fix any features that make sense to improve it. This improvement would make it so amazing!
It's too early to preclude anything, however it's very unlikely such features would be coming in a possible future release, for the reasons I've mentioned. The DM42 offers this now, so all that development and testing is likely not justified as it's not mainstream for a vast majority of expected DM32 customers.
--bob p

DM42: β00071 & 00282, DM41X: β00071 & 00656, DM10L: 071/100
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