pam@hpcvra.HP.COM (Pam Raby) (02/23/89)
Frank Wales of Zengrange writes: >I'd also like to know what Dave means by "user interface"; the HP-42S >has similar functionality to an HP-41CV + Advantage ROM (except that >certain things got lost, like PSE accepting input from the keyboard - >grrr!). Rumor has it that one of the 42S designers will re-write your lunar lander program for you ... the only known use of "input on the fly" :-) chrisb%hp-pcd@hplabs.HP.COM - who also wrote the Advantage module. The 42S definitely has all the functionality of the CV + Advantage *PLUS* matrices, complex numbers and variables as system objects, solve and integrate of any variable, programmable menus. The 42S has even MORE matrix and complex number functions than the 28! >However, it certainly does *not* have the same User interface as an HP-41. >Just use the alpha keyboard, and you'll see what I mean. The 42 certainly >has some cute features, but I get the impression that whoever ported the >HP-41 to the new machine wasn't a seasoned 41 User (he said, speaking as >one himself ;-)). The 42S design team represents a mere 40 years of experience using a 41 :-) Soft alpha was mandated by marketing - the rationale being to "un-clutter" the keyboard. Many of the changes to the "pure 41 design" grew from the physical package differences. By the way, the 42S is NOT A PORT of the 41 code ... it is all brand new ... >I mean, a 44 character ALPHA register? Was this done because the ALPHA >register has to be twice the display length, or was there a *good* >reason? :-) Some seasoned 41 users like the ability of writing to BOTH lines of the display. Or do you prefer scr ... ooooo ... llllling in either scenario: a 24-character ALPHA register, viewed only in the first line or a >44 character ALPHA register? Pam Raby pam%hp-pcd