[rescue] Sick Dreamcast hacker

[Koyote]

On Tue, Jun 18, 2002 at 12:40:39PM -0400, Dave McGuire wrote:


(josh)> > HP41.  Aren't those rather old?  I guess if it does the job, but then,

The hp41 is old, but is the best selling scientific/engineering/pocket computer calculator of all time. It does just about everything you could wnat out of a portable workstation. Slowly, I admit, but it does it.

>   Yes, ancient.  I have at least one of nearly every calculator HP has
> ever made, and most of TIs, but the HP41CX and HP28S are what stay on
> my desk.   

I use a 42s (similar to the 41 but not expandable) and a 28s daily. Fantastic machines. I like the programming of the 42/32/ and even lowly 20 better than the 28/48 calcs for in class math problems (algebra, trig, stats). But the lisp used in the 28/48 calcs is really nice for applications.

(Dave, you should look at the 42s 32kram hack, too.)

>   My point is...not only does it "do the job", it does it better than
> anything else I've tried, new or old...and believe me, when it comes
> to calculators, I've tried 'em all.  If you haven't test driven an
> HP41, you should!

abolsutely- and nowadays, they won't cost you more than a 42s anyway.


(josh)> > don't you have a computer right next to you?

We all do- but the 41 (and 42, and even 48sx) are still more popular tools for small plane pilots than laptops. EE's tend to swear by them- and even yo
nger EEs will search out an hp41 rather than buy a 49g brand new.
> 
>   Several, in fact.  But when one really needs a needlenose pliers,
> vise-grips seldom do the trick.  I also don't keep a computer on my
> electronics bench...I'm a person with a *lot* of test equipment, and
> bench real estate is kinda precious.


> > > I hear that HP is out of the calculator business now.  That means that
> > pretty much only TI is left, doesn't it?

Gah- this is almost a *daily* scare nowadays. It's getting to the point where "announcements" are being made by retailers in an effort to drive up prices.

It would appear that the pioneers are now all either cancelled or soon to be cancelled (I recommend everyone go to the local big box store or amazon.com and order your hp20s now. It's cheap, it's programmable (the ONLY true programmable non graphing - and under $35- calculator left on the market) and it's the last of the "old" quality hp designs. It's not rpn, alas. 

Word in private email from company people is that there will be a new generation of hp calculators. Most likely- based on what we've been seeing, they willbe more squishy keyed, scratchy screen 30s/40g/49g type ti imitations. Really sad. Really, very sad.

several calculator design groups have been built and disbanded over many years, so that's not always a good sign. 

-C