WP31s: is the 20B keyboard really that bad?

[Bit]

(02-01-2015 02:52 PM)Dieter Wrote:  I really like the 34s, but for many everyday applications it's simply a bit too complex, so that I prefer my 35s with its more direct access to the most important functions. That's why I consider turning another 30B into a 31s.

However, the 30B with its silver faceplate does not nearly look as nice as the all black 20B. Maybe that's why the emulator skin shows an all-black calculator as well. So I wonder if a 20B could be an option. The essential difference is the keyboard – the 30B keyboard is said to be much better. But how bad is the 20B in that regard? Would I sacrifice something substantial if I flashed the much nicer, all black 20B to become a 31s?

Dieter

The 20b's keyboard is very different, the keys don't click, their movement is completely soft. Whether that's for the better or worse is subjective but I guess most people here would consider it worse. One advantage of the 20b's keyboard is that keys not registering can be less of a problem since you get used to pressing the keys firmly. If you suspect you might prefer keys with softer movement, give it a try, that's the only way to know for sure.

There's another difference I noticed, although I cannot be sure if it's just my samples: The LCD in the 30b's seems nicer, more contrasty.

I've made some 31S calculators based on both hardware and I didn't think the 30b's looked bad at all. I'd say the silver faceplace even adds a little character. You should paint the faceplace around the keys black as Eric does in his instructional video.

Out of curiosity, which are the functions that aren't very easily accessible on the 34S and make the biggest difference to you?