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Jlouis · 09-24-2017, 04:05 PM

(09-24-2017 02:05 PM)HP67 Wrote: ...And I applaud HP for not running them out of business unlike a lot of other stuff I have seen over the years.

Pheraps HP is wanting to do that...maybe they are worried with competition? Not let the competition know their plans of a new handheld device?

Or the sales figures from SM wont give a scratch in HP?

I just can guess, after such DNA and all the mystery involved...

The only thing I can say is that Tim, as a serious person and highly regarded, would not do this without a (good) reason.

Warm Regards

JL

HP67 · 09-24-2017, 04:12 PM

(09-24-2017 04:05 PM)Jlouis Wrote:
(09-24-2017 02:05 PM)HP67 Wrote: ...And I applaud HP for not running them out of business unlike a lot of other stuff I have seen over the years.

Pheraps HP is wanting to do that...maybe they are worried with competition? Not let the competition know their plans of a new handheld device?

Or the sales figures from SM wont give a scratch in HP?

I just can guess, after such DNA and all the mystery involved...

The only thing I can say is that Tim, as a serious person and highly regarded, would not do this without a (good) reason.

Warm Regards

JL

I am sure it has nothing to do with Tim. Big companies don't get involved in small, expensive projects. I am sure Swissmicros is a labor of love. I hope Michael makes money but I am pretty sure that is not why he is doing it. HP has gotten away from this space and I am sure they don't care. If they did care they would still be in the calculator business (I mean really in it, not putting out junk through a third-party) and Swissmicros would never have happened.

Small businesses can fill the gaps.

Jlouis · 09-24-2017, 04:18 PM

(09-24-2017 04:12 PM)HP67 Wrote: I am sure it has nothing to do with Tim. Big companies don't get involved in small, expensive projects. I am sure Swissmicros is a labor of love. I hope Michael makes money but I am pretty sure that is not why he is doing it. HP has gotten away from this space and I am sure they don't care. If they did care they would still be in the calculator business (I mean really in it, not putting out junk through a third-party) and Swissmicros would never have happened.

Small businesses can fill the gaps.

Yes, you are completely right, it is logical.

Cheers

Hans S. · 09-25-2017, 04:33 PM

(09-24-2017 04:12 PM)HP67 Wrote: Big companies don't get involved in small, expensive projects.

Absoutely correct. Big companies get involved in large, expensive^n projects.

Hans

BruceH · 09-26-2017, 11:31 PM

(09-17-2017 05:13 PM)Thomas Okken Wrote:
(09-17-2017 10:01 AM)pier4r Wrote: If free42 would release a new version that breaks compatibility

Why would I do that?
Not going to happen. Not while I'm in charge, anyway.

What would be nice is if you could take a couple of the features from the HP32SII and add them to free42, please?

The first is the fractional number mode: typing "1..2" to get 1/2 (or 0.5 depending upon display mode) and "2.3.4" for 2+3/4 is really useful. Even if the values are only entered as fractions but displayed as decimals afterwards, it can still be a time-saver when entering values provided in fractional form. (Of course, I wouldn't say no to the full fat version that has the fraction display mode with the ability to fix the denominator, although I appreciate the 32SII has issues with this that make the feature less appealing.)

The second unique feature of the HP32SII is the ability to provide an algebraic expression to the solver rather than an RPN program.

Thomas Okken · 09-27-2017, 01:29 AM

(09-26-2017 11:31 PM)BruceH Wrote:
(09-17-2017 05:13 PM)Thomas Okken Wrote: Why would I do that?
Not going to happen. Not while I'm in charge, anyway.

What would be nice is if you could take a couple of the features from the HP32SII and add them to free42, please?

The first is the fractional number mode: typing "1..2" to get 1/2 (or 0.5 depending upon display mode) and "2.3.4" for 2+3/4 is really useful. Even if the values are only entered as fractions but displayed as decimals afterwards, it can still be a time-saver when entering values provided in fractional form. (Of course, I wouldn't say no to the full fat version that has the fraction display mode with the ability to fix the denominator, although I appreciate the 32SII has issues with this that make the feature less appealing.)

The second unique feature of the HP32SII is the ability to provide an algebraic expression to the solver rather than an RPN program.

Here is what I wrote a few months ago, in a similar context, on the SwissMicros forum:

Quote:As far as I'm concerned, Free42 is very close to being done. Things on my to-do list include plain-text program import and export, CSV variable import and export, disabling auto-sleep in Android and iOS through the ON function (current session) and a Preferences setting (permanent), a bunch of bug fixes, and not much else.

I will keep maintaining Free42: fixing bugs, minor improvements, and, if a new platform comes along and gains significant market share, a new port is always a possibility.

But when it comes to significant new functionality: no. Free42 is everything I want it to be. I am not interested in things like algebraic equations, HP-IL, subdirectories, etc., and, perhaps more to the point, I don't want to add new functionality even if someone else were to write it, because the moment I accept it into my repository, it becomes my responsibility.

Having said that, if anyone wants to create a Free42++ fork as a downstream project, based on my code and my ongoing fixes, they'll have my blessing.

Trond · 09-27-2017, 03:58 AM

I love the 42S, but in a new replacement, I would love a calculator that is very similar, but with a larger and brighter display, and with the usual inbuilt conversions of the more "user friendly" models (maybe just one extra menu). The equation solver could also be made more user friendly.

Thomas Radtke · 09-27-2017, 05:12 AM

(09-26-2017 11:31 PM)BruceH Wrote: What would be nice is if you could take a couple of the features from the HP32SII and add them to free42, please?

I imagine the RPL equation editior (e.g. 17B, 27S) would be closer to the original 42S concept than the somewhat limited 32SII editor.

pier4r · 09-27-2017, 06:16 AM

(09-27-2017 01:29 AM)Thomas Okken Wrote: Here is what I wrote a few months ago, in a similar context, on the SwissMicros forum:

I like the approach. Never ending projects are fun, but also stable ones that are useful are important (as are those calculators that we buy and get discontinued but they are amazing). Kudos.

Paul Dale · 09-27-2017, 07:02 AM

I'll have to disagree. I was glad when the final major version of WP 34S firmware was released. There have been bug fixes subsequently, but the feature freeze was a relief.

pier4r · 09-27-2017, 09:09 AM

Are you disagreeing with me? Because I wanted to convey that stable/closed projects (or mature) are often useful. A useful solution does not need necesarily to be updated continously.

Paul Dale · 09-27-2017, 09:18 AM

Yes, I disagree Smile

Of course we ran out of flash, RAM, CPU, LCD and everything else....

Pauli

Thomas Okken · 09-27-2017, 09:41 AM

(09-27-2017 09:18 AM)Paul Dale Wrote: Yes, I disagree

It is rather unclear what you're disagreeing with. :-)

Paul Dale · 09-27-2017, 09:47 AM

That never ending projects remain fun forever....

pier4r · 09-27-2017, 11:16 AM

(09-27-2017 09:47 AM)Paul Dale Wrote: That never ending projects remain fun forever....

Ah! well for me fun is "challenging" (and therefore fun). Like continously trying to improve one's skills in a field that one likes.

Hsilop · 10-24-2017, 08:41 PM

Any news or new rumors about what HP might be up to?

toml_12953 · 10-24-2017, 10:17 PM

(09-27-2017 09:47 AM)Paul Dale Wrote: That never ending projects remain fun forever....

But they are fun for those of us who like new challenges and learning (and playing with) new gadgets. They are not fun for developers, though!

Sukiari · 10-24-2017, 11:43 PM

(09-27-2017 03:58 AM)Trond Wrote: I love the 42S, but in a new replacement, I would love a calculator that is very similar, but with a larger and brighter display, and with the usual inbuilt conversions of the more "user friendly" models (maybe just one extra menu). The equation solver could also be made more user friendly.

A new 42s has already arrived in the form of the WP-34s. While I'm sure that HP could just start selling 30b's with the firmware pre-flashed (it's GPL'd after all) and do pretty well with it, I hope they revive RPL machines. It'll cost you $350 for a new 50g on Amazon already. I bought two when they were on sale for $59 a year or two ago. Somebody at HP must be eyeing that $350 price point and thinking that they could sell something more business / engineering oriented for that kind of bread. Heck a lightly bug fixed 50g with the 48g keyboard layout and improved build quality would sell like hotcakes even at $350.

Hsilop · 10-25-2017, 06:49 AM

(10-24-2017 11:43 PM)Sukiari Wrote:
(09-27-2017 03:58 AM)Trond Wrote: I love the 42S, but in a new replacement, I would love a calculator that is very similar, but with a larger and brighter display, and with the usual inbuilt conversions of the more "user friendly" models (maybe just one extra menu). The equation solver could also be made more user friendly.

A new 42s has already arrived in the form of the WP-34s. While I'm sure that HP could just start selling 30b's with the firmware pre-flashed (it's GPL'd after all) and do pretty well with it, I hope they revive RPL machines. It'll cost you $350 for a new 50g on Amazon already. I bought two when they were on sale for $59 a year or two ago. Somebody at HP must be eyeing that $350 price point and thinking that they could sell something more business / engineering oriented for that kind of bread. Heck a lightly bug fixed 50g with the 48g keyboard layout and improved build quality would sell like hotcakes even at $350.

The upcoming DM42 from Swiss Micros has an excellent display...

Eric Rechlin · 10-25-2017, 02:29 PM

(10-24-2017 11:43 PM)Sukiari Wrote: Heck a lightly bug fixed 50g with the 48g keyboard layout and improved build quality would sell like hotcakes even at $350.

No, it wouldn't. It might sell a few thousand at that price, to the most hard-core HP fans. But it would never recoup the development cost (modifying the 50g to use the 48G keyboard layout would be extremely difficult and then produce a calculator that would not be fully backwards compatible with either existing 50 or 48 series software), so it wouldn't make sense for it to be produced.