[VA] A digression around a digression

[Valentin Albillo]

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Hi, J-F Garnier, EdS2 and PeterP,

Thanks for posting to this tread, now a few comments on what you said ...

J-F Garnier Wrote:Valentin, you couldn't have expressed my thought better !

Thank you, Jean-François, glad we think alike about this.

J-F Garnier Wrote:When I'm programming on a HP-71B emulator, I do program in HP-71B BASIC, I'm really programming a HP-71B.

Indeed, I feel exactly like that, and I've felt like that since you very generously provided me with your wondrous Emu71/DOS several decades ago.

J-F Garnier Wrote:First, as I already told you (too many times?), there is already an excellent HP-71B emulator for Windows [...] I never understood your reluctance to use it, and your preference for a poorer environment.

"Poorer" is not the word but I can't post the correct one in a family-friendly forum like this, just as I can't post here the words that would apply to its developer for taking the money and never correcting even a few of its most egregious problems or even bothering to answer the complaints of his paying customers over the years.

As for "I never understood your reluctance to use it" I've explained why time and again in the past so to avoid being stuck in a loop I'd suggest that we reach a gentlemen's agreement: I'll never ask you again to release a 32-/64-bit version of your Emu71/DOS and in return you'll never ask me again why I'm "reluctant" to use the "excellent HP-71B emulator for Windows". Deal ?

J-F Garnier Wrote:My usual HP-71B programming environment is [...] In the past I also tried Emu71/DOS inside VirtualBox running DOS that gives the native Emu71/DOS performance, but the file sharing is much less easy.

I do appreciate very much your most kind attempt to help me, J-F, you can always be sure of that.

EdS2 Wrote:The way I read C.Ret's original message, is that it was something of a spoiler to their enjoyment of the real article, with its relatively slow performance, when people using emulators could produce results and perform experiments so much faster.

As the song says, "That's life !". It's like freely deciding to travel to a distant location in a wonderful vintage car you own and cherish, then being upset because people using modern, faster cars get there much sooner. Essentially it's a "You cannot have your cake and eat it too" conundrum.

EdS2 Wrote:[...] i don't really see a way around it, other than to try to have some challenges and threads strictly disallow emulators.

That ain't gonna happen, at least not in my threads. Consider that, apart from emulators typically running faster and thus allowing for quicker sleuthing and results, they are also utterly indispensable for interested people who do not own the vintage calc in question and can't/won't spend a possibly considerable amount of money and time to acquire one when they can get a perfectly adequate emulator for free with just a few clicks.

EdS2 Wrote:And we can be tolerant and forgiving, in case people do things which we would prefer they didn't do. I think in almost all cases, no harm is intended. We should always be generous in supposing what someone's motivation might be.

Nice words in general, though I fail to see how they'd apply in this particular case. My Problem 2 can be solved on a physical HP-71B in just 1 hour 18 min. (my solution) or perhaps even less (others'), which is perfectly tolerable and even outstanding, and the fact than an emulator can do it in 1 min is irrelevant.

Come to that, a compiled C# executable possibly might do it in milliseconds. So what ? Should I allow people to use C# or Excel on a fast laptop to solve the problems I've intended and carefully chosen specifically for vintage HP calcs, so that certain people I won't name would have it their way ?

PeterP Wrote:I find Valentin's word's about the soul beautiful and inspiring.

Thank you very much, I'm truly glad you do.

PeterP Wrote:And I would think(hope) that my friends and family would enjoy my software even if it were sitting on an emulator, just as long as its me.

Of course they would !

PeterP Wrote:Thinking about it - for most of you here, I only know your software - I would pass you on the street without knowing. And I get tremendous enjoyment out of reading, listening, and learning from you!

Excellent, deep reflection, which absolutely makes my point about the mind, the "software", being what makes us us, whether we are a sentient biological being or a vintage programmable calculator.


Thanks to all of you for your very interesting & worthwhile posts, and

Best regards.
V.