HP-50gII Discussion (split from 15c CE thread)

[johnb]

(08-30-2023 10:51 PM)3298 Wrote:  ...I consider the 49/50 keyboard layout a slight improvement over the 48, for two reasons...

...Sure, there are many things the 49/50 keyboard could do better. Most importantly...

What a very careful and thoughtful analysis! I would have to be holding a 48g and a 50g side by side to fully follow what you're saying, but the parts that I can picture, I like. The simplest example being keeping the 4 main dyadic functions aligned down with the numeric keys.

I generally program the soft menus and use them heavily, so I like having CST, NXT (and so on) accessible.

Regarding the 28s form factor... even though the 28s was my "gateway drug" into HP collecting, on a practical level it is just not as usable as my 48g is. So I would definitely go with some portrait-oriented layout similar to the one you've described, and not a clamshell.

Just please please please make the keys hard and clicky, not rubber!