alonzo@microsoft.UUCP (Alonzo GARIEPY) (03/07/90)
By now, most of you have already heard that Hewlett-Packard has introduced a new calculator called the HP 48SX. I hear that several people are going to post reviews of the HP 48SX functions and features, and comparisons with the HP 28S, so I will aim for a little more depth and give my understanding and impressions of more fundamental technical issues. But, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are some of each... ____________________________ | ________________________ |\ | | {HOME PROGS} 13:42 | | \ Note the display of the current directory. | | -------------------- | | | (There is a new UPDIR function.) Time! | | 4: Graphic 131 x 64 | | | Graphic objects make graphics much easier. | | 3: e : 2.71828182846 | | | You can label stack objects with names. | | 2: # 0h | | | All HP 28 objects types are supported plus | | 1: 3.14159265359 | | | plenty more (including machine code!). | | ### ## ### ## ## ### | | | Directory objects in menus look like file | |/____________________\| | | folders. Variables are simple rectangles. |- __ __ __ __ __ __ -| | | |__||__||__||__||__||__| | | There are 49 keys on the keyboard. Each |- __ __ __ __ __ __ -| | key may have as many as fifteen functions | |__||__||__||__||__||__| | | (including USER definitions!), but they | __ __ __ __ __ __ | | are sensible and easy to use. | |__||__||__||__||__||__| | | | __ __ __ __ __ __ | | Six editors: command line, stack, matrix, | |__||__||__||__||__||__| | | equation, graphics, alarm. | ______ __ __ __ __ | | | |______||__||__||__||__| | | You can execute SWAP, DROP, and DUP without | __ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | using shift keys, and they are available | |__||___||___||___||___| | | for programming without the use of menus. | __ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | | |__||___||___||___||___| | | The menus have been consolidated and | __ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | expanded. For a complete function list | |__||___||___||___||___| | | see my posting on internals. | __ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | | |__||___||___||___||___| | | OFF and CONT are now programmable. |__________________________|/ approximately actual size This is a great machine. It has twice the clock rate of an HP 28 and seems about 50% faster for manual calculations. Programs execute almost twice as fast. The reason for this difference is that so much more work is being done to keep the display updated between keypresses. The 48 is much more programmable than the 28. Functions are easier to get to, and they're all on one keyboard. Alphabetic keys and most of the special characters are easily accessible too. The prices I hear are anywhere from $280 from EduCalc to $350 with no discount. My next posting has a variety of interesting technical details. Alonzo Gariepy alonzo@microsoft
a309@mindlink.UUCP (George Lin) (03/11/90)
1) The serial number on my 48SX is 3003A00256. Does this mean my calculator is the 256th one off the production line? 2) How about an IR I/O interface for the PC so that one does not need to 'plug in' their HP to transfer data? --------------------------------------------------------------------- BTW, for you fellow Canucks, these calculator in Canada. The usually Mega-Buck price applies though. I paid $430 Can for mine. George Lin -- Mindlink, BC
mjkobb@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Michael J Kobb) (03/12/90)
In article <1290@mindlink.UUCP> a309@mindlink.UUCP (George Lin) writes: >2) How about an IR I/O interface for the PC so that one does not need to 'plug >in' their HP to transfer data? Yeah, but the infrared only does 2400 bps, while the cable does 9600. For 4x speed, I'll cope with a cable... --Mike Waiting for EduCalc to get the 48sx-->Mac interface kits in stock.............
ji@close.columbia.edu (John Ioannidis) (03/12/90)
In article <1290@mindlink.UUCP> a309@mindlink.UUCP (George Lin) writes: >1) The serial number on my 48SX is 3003A00256. Does this mean my calculator is >the 256th one off the production line? HP's serial numbers are in the form YYWWCNNNNN, where YY is the number of years since 1960, WW is the week of the year, C is the country code (A=USA, S=Singapore, M=Mexico etc) and NNNNN is the serial number itself. Now, I was under the impression that NNNNN was monotonically increasing, not starting at 0 (or 1) every time YY or WW changed. I'm probably wrong, since my calculator is 3009A00098. See, it can't be the 98th calculator off the production line (which is what I thought) and have been produced in the 9th week of 1990 (1960+30) and yours be the 256th and be produced the third week of 1990. Unless you reported the WW code wrong! > >2) How about an IR I/O interface for the PC so that one does not need to 'plug >in' their HP to transfer data? > I have no idea what IREDs/IRdiodes they are using; use a stronger IRED in your end and you can fry their photodiode (OK, IRdiode!). I remember this used to be a problem with the 41 WAND; people had made circuits driven by their PCs to flash a red LED at their WAND and ended up frying them (the solution was to put some diffusing material like cotton wool between them; which is not acceptable in the 48 case). I undertand the reluctance to electrically hook up the 48 to a PC, but the IR link will only run up to 2400 baud, as opposed to 9600 for the serial link. /ji
chin@ankh.ftl.fl.us (Albert Chin) (05/27/90)
I just began reading this newsgroup, as I hadn't known of it before. I have the HP 28S and am VERY interested in knowing more about the HP 48sx. Can you give me details as to speed improvement over 28S, graphic resolution, programming language, added features, standard memory and expanded memory, etc. This seems to be avery powerful calculator from what posts are here. Oh, and how much is it? Albert Chin ... mthvax!mamia!albert
dove@ucscb.ucsc.edu (Ray Rischpater) (08/09/90)
Someone recently told me that zipper-style cases are shipped with the newer revision ROMs. (C and D.) Amazingly enough, my rev D HP48sx came with a >nifty< flap-style case. I haven't seen a case this good for a calculator since the HP-65. Anyways, so if you're shopping for an SX, it shows that you shouldn't judge a book by its, ... err... calculator by its case. I'll be posting a telephone database manager here as soon as I get my cable made. -- -- dove@ucscg.ucsc.edu Ray Rischpater -- dove@ucscb.ucsc.edu (408) 426-0716 --As usual, all of the opinions contained herein are my own...
talaga@oxy.edu (David Scott Talaga) (08/11/90)
In article <5870@darkstar.ucsc.edu> dove@ucscb.ucsc.edu (Ray Rischpater) writes: > >Someone recently told me that zipper-style cases are shipped with the >newer revision ROMs. (C and D.) > >Amazingly enough, my rev D HP48sx came with a >nifty< flap-style case. I >haven't seen a case this good for a calculator since the HP-65. My 48sx came with rev. D roms and a zipper case. I prefer the zipper case myself. "Excuse me while I unzip this" (ooohs and aaahs) "Heh heh heh" David Talaga talaga@oxy.edu Occidental Chemical Weapons Los Angeles
r91400@memqa.uucp (Michael C. Grant) (08/13/90)
In article <106597@tiger.oxy.edu>, talaga@oxy.edu (David Scott Talaga) writes: > In article <5870@darkstar.ucsc.edu> dove@ucscb.ucsc.edu (Ray Rischpater) writes: >>Amazingly enough, my rev D HP48sx came with a >nifty< flap-style case. I >>haven't seen a case this good for a calculator since the HP-65. > > My 48sx came with rev. D roms and a zipper case. I prefer the zipper case > myself. > > "Excuse me while I unzip this" > (ooohs and aaahs) > "Heh heh heh" Yeah, but with the flap-style case, you can do the quote REAL justice... "Excuse me while I whip this out..." --Blazing Saddles Michael C. Grant
akcs.hpbbs@hpcvbbs.UUCP (Stephen W. Houdek) (12/03/90)
Hello everyone, I just got an HP48SX yesterday. I am busily reading the manual trying to learn the HP "Style". Yes, this is my first HP calculator. The one amazing thing that I find about this little gem is that it is more like a computer than a calculator. Could anyone give me any Idea how much the serial interface kit is...also the price of a Ram card and an Equation card? I am interested in interfacing this thing with my computer. Thankyou in advance for your help. -SH '.'