pete%slack.uucp@cs.utah.edu (Pete Ashdown) (03/03/90)
Well, I witnessed it today. HP's newest calculator hit the shelves of our University bookstore. It is _simply_ amazing. I've got to rid myself of my HP 28s and get this sucker. Some things I noticed right off. The screen is much larger and more square. The actual text dimensions are 8 lines by 22 characters, where the 28s is 4 lines by 23 characters. The LCD also has a sort of blue tint to it. I'm not sure what causes this, but it does look better (sort of Macintoshy). The machine itself is slightly larger than a 41. It doesn't fold like the 28s either. Rather, they have two (maybe three) shift keys for using the several different functions of each key. I tried to try out the integral solver to see if that was improved, but I couldn't figure out how to enter the equation! Also, for 28 fans who are concerned that HP has gone backwards to produce a successor to the 41 rather than the 28, be not concerned. This calculator is much more like the 28 than the 41. The salesman gave me a photocopy of a comparison sheet that HP put out. These are some of the features of the 48sx that the 28s does not have. HP 48sx HP 28s --------------------------------------------------- 2100 functions 1500 functions 8 line by 22 char display 4 line by 23 char Curve fit (LIN,LOG,EXP,POW) Automatic best curve fit 128 flags 64 flags Application cards Archive function 30K standard 32K Maximum of 256K expandable none Redefinable keyboard (user) RS-232C interface Two-way infrared I/O 2 plug-in ports Fractionalize functions Summation Polar vectors Cylindrical/Spherical vectors HP Matrix writer application HP EquationWriter application Unit management (?) Root, slope, area under curve Local extremes, intersection, F' Conic sec, pol, para. truth plots Bar, histogram, scatter plots Zoom, Z-box, line box, arc graphic control n, I%YR, PV, PMT, FV (business ap card) Time and date calculations (built in) Alarms and appointments That's it. The two-way IR sounds really exciting. I wonder how well it will work across a room :-). And finally, the cost. The bookstore wasn't too much below suggested retail. $350.00. I doubt that will drop for some time because of the hardcore-upgraders like myself scrambling to get one. By the way, if anyone wants to buy a 28s, loaded with time, fraction, games, integral functions (soon to be posted), along with a nice handmade leather case, let me know. I'd probably part with it for around $140.00 (during spring break of course). "People should be beat up for stating their beliefs." - They Might Be Giants This is to certify and promulgate American Family Publisher's intent to award TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS to PETE ASHDOWN! Yippee! UseNet is on me everyone! [pete@slack.uucp] [...utah-cs!i-core!slack!pete] [slack=AMIGA!!]
yap@me.utoronto.ca (Davin Yap) (03/03/90)
OK, so like I just ordered one from a mail-order house; what is it I ordered?
I'm quite serious, here in Canada the 48sx isn't due to be released till
the 6th and none of the HP people up here know a thing about it - aside
from its existence. Pete Ashdown posted a run-down of things that the
48sx has that the 28s doesn't; are there any features that the 28s has
that the 48sx doesn't have????????????????????????
The saleswomen I spoke to said that it had only 32K of ROM - this can't
be right! How much ROM does the 48sx have?
The lack of keys worries me, I suppose that there are at least 26 keys :-),
but if this thing is only slightly larger than a 41, just how many keys
are there given the large size of the screen?
Are there soft menu keys?
How thick is the calculator?
Notice, I made my questions easy to answer, please do! Gracious thanks
to all who do, especially those of you inclined to elaborate.
Regards, Davin
I just gotta have one, I don't know why, I just do!
_______________leave_nothing_to_the_imagination_of_those_without_______________
GOAL: To dance the light fan- |Davin Yap, Mechanical Engineering, U of Toronto
tastic in the face of derision,| yap@me.toronto.edu yap@me.utoronto.bitnet
from those bland at heart. | ...{pyramid,uunet}!utai!utme!yap
--marc@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Marc Tremblay) (03/03/90)
In article <1990Mar2.152410.28186@me.toronto.edu> yap@me.utoronto.ca (Davin Yap) writes: > >The lack of keys worries me, I suppose that there are at least 26 keys :-), Most keys are used for several functions. From what I "saw" and "tried" most keys have: - a function on the key - a shift yellow function - a shift blue function - an alpha entry >Are there soft menu keys? There are five soft menu keys right below the display. Moreover, each key can be redefined by the user. The student store sells it for $279. Marc Tremblay marc@CS.UCLA.EDU