minas@foxvax1.UUCP (P.C. Minasian ) (02/27/84)
Does anyone have any detailed information about the use of the Hewlett-Packard HP41 calculator on board the shuttle missions? I'm particularly interested in what functions it is expected to perform as well as the extent to which the 41 provides an easy, uncomplicated interface to the astronauts, i.e, do the functions performed involve multiple keystrokes and/or do they make use of functions keys? Finally, how dependent are they upon the display capabilities of the 41 (I suspect not much, because the 41 does not have a very flexible or elaborate display)? Beyond these questions, any insight into their software design and hardware interface would be much appreciated! Obviously, NASA doesn't have to very concerned with "user-friendliness" (do I hate that expression!) since they can rely on trained and intelligent operators; I'm trying to evaluate the applicability of the HP41 as a compact and portable tool for trained but not necessarily very intelligent operators; this is the cause for my concern with the 41's human interface capabilities. -phil minasian decvax!genrad!wjh12!foxvax1!minas