Public Beta Availiable - Win/Mac/Linux/Firmware/Android/iOS

[Tim Wessman]

Hello,

The HP Calculator group is excited to release a public beta for the next version of the HP Prime software. If you are willing and able to test, we invite you to download and provide feedback on the new features and changes.

Should you also prove to be a very enthusiastic individual with quality issue reporting skills, you may also receive an invite to participate in the more closed alpha level testing that happen earlier in the development process.

While you can post in forums such as this at your discretion, we ask that the primary way of reporting be to send reports to calcbeta@hp.com. Basically, the goal is avoid disruption or annoyance to other forum participants. You can pop up a pre-populated email template by clicking the "Report Issue" menu item in the programs themselves.

If you desire to test an iOS or Android version, please communicate to calcbeta@hp.com with your email ID and type of app store. We can add you in and you will receive a notice for the app when available in the near future (being processed by the various stores at the moment). If you already received test versions in the past, you will still be in the list I believe and do not need to request again.


This release may appear to not have many new "features" from a calculator functionality perspective. You are correct! Primarily, three major things have happened here.

1. We have updated several of the core libraries used to build the software to later versions, and have also updated to later versions of the software build tools. This means that *ideally* there are few if any changes from the user perspective, but it is always possible the tool change made problems. Having more people test it to make sure things seem to be looking good is therefore ideal. A good example of this is the Windows version of HP Prime - it now will use a 64-bit build by default for the majority of users. Previously, the public release was 32-bit only.
2. In order to support better connectivity, we now use what is called mDns/Bonjour network discovery. This means that ideally apps on different phones/tablets/computers will be able to more easily find the HP Connectivity Kit when on the same network. Additionally, we have provided a way to directly specify a valid IP address, or network name to allow connection. Things like "192.168.0.2" would be a possible valid input, as would something like "my_network_name" or even "localhost". Basically, if the system knows how to resolve it - the connection should be possible. We hope this will enable better and easier connection to manage your HP Prime software in individual or classroom environments. Please help with testing the robustness and connection capability. Thank you!
3. We've worked to improve issues and stability for iOS/Android apps. These will no longer use FTP protocol for download of documentation so the download and experience there should be cleaner and faster. Due to wide range of different devices and systems, Android is especially difficult to know if problems we have never seen or reproduced locally have been corrected. In some cases we have to make our best guess what might be causing it. If an issue is NOT resolved on those platforms, we will continue working with you to try and get it corrected.
   

From a "core" calculator perspective, changes have been kept minimal as larger items or features generally are worked on separately to avoid creating instability in the "main" program itself until fully tested. Trying to infer something about future changes based on what you see or don't see right now is just silly.

There are some issue fixes, as well as some slightly larger changes. Some are specifically included to get some wider feedback from users. For example, there is now the ability to draw 2D items in a "reduced size" format when the results are far too wide or tall to fit on the screen. We are trying to tune this behavior and get feedback on how best to implement it. If a matrix is 2 times the width of the screen, the result will be shown with a ... between the first and last item indicating something was removed in the display. A similar thing happens with extremely long text or integers. The goal is to make it easier to see, and also reduce the need to draw very large expressions that can slow down display.

Additionally, some tweaks to the editor and key handling have happened. The editor cursor will now resize based on which part of the expression your typing will apply. Highlighting is also now done using the system color settings. Key handling and repeat should be cleaner and have better behavior with key repeat and speeding up if held for a "long" time - like holding down BKSP on the calculator hardware.


There is now a "technical preview" of ONLY the HP Prime Virtual Calculator for Linux (not the Connkit since all communication forms (usb, etc) are not ready for that yet). Primarily, this is to determine if our method of using an appimage (https://appimage.org/) for distribution will be a good way to deliver HP Prime software. We'd like to know how things look regarding compatibility and behavior are currently. There is not a ton of experience in doing consumer type of applications within HP, so we have been left on our own to figure this one out. Note that the fact we are doing a "technical preview" does not in any way indicate that a final, supported version of any HP Prime software on Linux is implied or promised at this time.


Here are a few screenshots of some of the more visible user changes:

Networking screen:


Cursor/editor tweaks:


Early image showing "reduced size" display:




I request that you remember - this is not really the time to be requesting new features. The quicker we can validate the major "underneath" changes, the more time we have to get onto those more exciting "features" that are planned.

Special thank you to Eric Rechlin at hpcalc.org for hosting the files for us.

Quote:http://www.hpcalc.org/prime/beta/

Have fun!

Quote:HP Prime Public Beta – Release Notes
-------------------------

Beta Use

Please note that this is a beta version which is still undergoing development and testing before official release. The software and all content found within are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. HP Inc. does not give any warranties, whether express or implied, as to the suitability or usability of the software or any of its content.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT HP SUPPORT FOR ASSISTANCE. You will simply be asked to install the supported public release, or communicate with calcbeta@hp.com



HP Prime – Release Notes
-------------------------

Date Released: 2018/09/17

Internal Versions
-----------------
Firmware Version: 2.1.14091 (2018 09 17) BETA
Virtual Calculator Version: 2.1.14091 (2018 09 17) BETA
Connectivity Kit: 2.1.14091 (2018 09 17) BETA

Description
-----------
This BETA release of the Prime Calculator firmware and associated PC and Mobile software delivers fixes to outstanding issues. This document is not a complete list of all changes but highlights specific items. Only users willing to experiment with pre-release software and report issues to calcbeta@hp.com are invited to experiment with this release.


Please back up your calculator before the update. Any existing data on the device may be wiped during the update process.

Primary focus of this BETA release is focusing on modification of HP Prime Apps and changing network communication with the HP Prime Connectivity Kit.

Windows Connectivity Kit and Virtual Calculator:
1. Now delivered as 64-bit versions by default
2. Now include Apple Bonjour installers to enable mDns networking on Windows
3. Updated to use 2017 build tools and redistributable packages

Mac Connectivity Kit and Virtual Calculator:
1. Uses built in networking to enable mDns discovery
2. Updated to use 2017 build tools and redistributable packages

Linux Technical Preview Virtual Calculator:
1. Delivered in x86 and x64 versions
2. Built using Ubuntu 14.04 and packaged as an appimage
3. Primarily, this is to test if application is able to be run on a wide range of systems and distros
4. There is a technical preview and does not indicate a supported Linux release will be forthcoming

New Functionality and Changes (Calculator Software)
1. Added UVAL and UPART commands to get value or unit part from unit objects.
2. Changed FP and IP commands to work with unit objects
3. Changed DMS key to work properly in places other than the HOME screen (dialog boxes, spreadsheet, etc.)
4. Reworked network connection screen to allow connection to specific IP address or network name
5. Reworked network discovery to use mDns/Bonjour to use more standard network discovery
6. Reworked display of large matrices, strings or expressions that do not fit on the screen print in a reduced size in history
7. Reworked cursor height to match the part of the expression being edited
8. Reworked selection of expressions to use system color instead of an invert selection display


Resolved issues and changes excluding CAS
-----------------------------------------
1. Updated parsec definition to latest NIST value
2. Resolved issue with Mac version when switching and quitting rapidly
3. Resolved issue with sometimes receiving value from Vars menu, and sometimes the Var name as expected
4. Resolved issue with INPUT command not accepting other data types when real number specified as option
5. Resolved issue with app programs not loading function immediately on send
6. Resolved issue with spreadsheet display in Mac connectivity kit spreadsheet display
7. Resolved issue with accessing exported user function from an "Empty" base app

Resolved issues and changes in CAS
----------------------------------
1. Resolved issue with rand(<3_argument>) command
2. Resolved issue to allow _min to parse as _mn
3. Resolved issue for sign of multivariate expressions, make abs(a+b) -> a+b if a and b are positive
4. Resolved issue with lin, useful for lin(normal(((c*r*v0+c*r*va)*e^(-t/(r*c)))/(c*r) + va) if no simplification is selected
5. Resolved issue with := before evaluation of CAS command, otherwise a:=1 copied from history in command line is printed a=1