HP-42S display

[Jake Schwartz]

(09-05-2017 02:02 AM)toml_12953 Wrote:  

(09-04-2017 09:07 PM)RMollov Wrote:  Add the ridiculous alpha input and small memory - both for no reason, that's why I never bought one back in the day.
Cheers,

I find the alpha input of the 42S (and DM42 classic mode, of course) much easier than that of the 41C/CV/CX calculators. À chacun son goût, I guess.

Well, I am sure there were reasons inside HP for both decisions. With respect to the ALPHA input (which I personally didn't like because every letter required two keystrokes), you would think that making such a radical change in the user interface might cause a backlash. It seems to me that there was room on that keyboard to have the ALPHA input that they chose, PLUS the old way as well. Making it flexible like that might have won (or kept) some additional fans.

Also, based on the cost of RAM in 1988, I can see why it only had 8K. Off-line storage would have helped a bit in this area, but we learned later that at that particular time, the Corvallis division chose to support only one line with I/O - and that ultimately morphed the 28S into the 48SX with plug-in cards and serial and two-way IR. However, a prototype of a 42S with I/O was apparently shown at a user's-club meeting in the northwest. I doubt anyone got any photos of that one, though.

Jake