dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) (06/08/91)
As an owner of both an HP-48SX and an HP-95LX, and after using the HP-95LX for about one month, I must say that there is no comparison between the two machines: the HP-48SX is a MUCH better machine! In fact, I sold my HP-95LX after just one month. Now to be fair I must say that the HP-95LX is a remarkable machine and could in fact be the right machine for certain applications (especially financial analysis), but for ME, I prefer my HP-48SX. Here are some random observations: The HP-95LX has a wonderfully build clamshell case, much better than the one used in the 28S style machines. When you pick up an HP-95, it feels well made; the hinge has enough friction in it that the case does not have the flimsy feeling that the 28 series machines had. So far, so good. Then you open the case. The display is the largest we have had yet on an HP Corvallis-made machine, and its contrast is quite good. In fact, I set the contrast on the screen once and never had to change it again, in all sorts of lighting. So the display gets high marks too. What's the problem with the 95LX? Its that darn keyboard! It looks ugly, and its looks mirror how it feels: terrible. The keys are a lot like a TI calculator from the mid 70s. The layout of the basic keys resembles a QUERTY style keyboard, but the shift keys are where ALT or CONTROL keys usually go, and there is no top row of numeric keys. I'd rather see a top row of numeric keys than either function keys or a numeric keypad. The built-in applications are not too good, excepting Lotus and the HP Calculator. Lotus 1-2-3 runs nicely on the machine, and if you are going to spend your whole life in Lotus, then a 95 might work well for you. But the appointment mode has serious problems. The best appointment mode ever made was done by HP for the HP-75C. Every machine since has failed to measure up. The 71B never got its promised time module, the 41 Timer module did not schedule appointments as well, and the 48 has its share of problems too, such as not being able to have repeating monthly or yearly appointments. Well, the 95LX cannot schedule any repeating appointments for things like every other week or every day, so it too falls short. The phone book application is ok. The text editor always shows tabs (with a period) and returns (with a big large ugly arrow). You can search, but not replace. It is pretty useless. The stopwatch is pretty neat, until you try to use it across time zones, where it gives wrong answers when you change the local time of the machine. You can search for appointments by text, but if you do and the appointment is not found, the machine HANGS. You need to do a CTL ALT DEL to get your machine back. Any of your other "little apps" that are open lose their data too! (I lost a bunch of addresses that way.) You cannot access DOS from Lotus 1-2-3 or from any of the "little apps". All such apps must be quit from first. The HP calculator in the 95 is pretty nice: it is very close to a 19B Series II machine. There is one part of the calculator that still seems like an afterthought to me: a list mode where you can enter a list of numbers. It will give you a total if you wish. That's all it does. You cannot get the mean of the numbers, you cannot save the numbers, you cannot plot the numbers, you cannot do anything other than key in a bunch of numbers. Well, if I was going to key in a bunch of numbers, why not do it in Lotus 1-2-3 where I could plot them, save them, etc? Bizarre. Well, after using my HP-95LX as my primary machine for 1 month, I am very happy to be back to my HP-48SX. The 48's keyboard feels like a Rolls-Royce compared to the Yugo-like keyboard of the 95. At least if the 48 appointment mode does not do what I want, I can write a program to make the 48 do what I want, and that is the problem that the 95 has: it is fixed. If the built-in apps are to your liking, then okay, but it not, then you've got problems. I sincerely hope that if HP has plans to use the 95LX as a future platform for HP scientific calculators, such as a successor to the 48, that they completely redo the keyboard. The rest of the case and the display are acceptable as is. Oh yes, and I hope that they will keep the fine RPL system of the 48 and add the 75's appointment mode and .... You get the idea. The 48 is particularly neat in conjunction with the PDL. Well, that's enough comments for one night. Dan Allen Apple Computer