Jake-S@cup.portal.com (Jake G Schwartz) (11/26/90)
Hi gang - Here's some of the info I had promised, on details on the subjects
of discussion at the Philadelphia Area HP Handheld Club meeting on November
11th when Bill Wickes was our guest speaker. A partial list is below:
A short HP28/48 development history
RPL language nuances
HP48 production plans at the beginning/ order rates at present
HP48 I/O to external devices via RS232 versus P.C.'s doing same
Calculators in mathematics education
HP48 directory structure origins
Will there be ROM versions beyond revision "E"? (Bugs in general)
Using the Equation Writer
Will HP speed up the Saturn or use another CPU in later models?
HP28-to-HP48 upgrade incompatibilities
Display "freezing" or "not freezing" in 28 and 48
The "HYDE" ("Bart Simpson" as he called it then) message library
Saturn internal development (hardware and software) system
The latest on support for outside software developers: a possible
"Advanced Programmer's Library" coming ???
How HP feels about releasing the HP48 O.S. to the world
Saturn-emulator PC software considerations
The software team: how they interact with each other to bounce around
ideas
Status of "HP48 Insights" book project and it's history
Matrix object/ array object comments
Symbolic matrix handling - why it isn't in the machine
Indefinite integration on the HP48
OS in ROM versus EPROM
Routines that didn't make the cut in HP48 ROM (due to space limits)
IEEE-standard math
HP48 least significant digit rounding behavior
Saturn CPU IC specs/design rules/hardware features
---------------------------------------------
The above list covers the first two hours or so of the three and 3/4th hours
of stuff covered in Bill's "chat" with 17 of us who were there. I have
this meeting available on VHS videotape (recorded in "middle" speed, allowing
the entire thing on one tape) for ten dollars, which includes postage plus
a copy of the 18-page handout that all attendees received. The evening was
quite interesting and enjoyable.
Jake Schwartz
135 Saxby Terrace
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
609-751-1310 home
609-866-6268 work