The HP-37s scientific calculator?

[EngineerX]

Hello all,

Let me ask you this:

If HP were to release the successor of the 35s, what features should it have?

Better quality, modern, and larger natural display?
Integrals, derivatives and summation on keyboard, with ability to apply these to the equation list?
More memory?
Ability to use 2 ou 3 characters to name variables and programs?

Thanks in advance.

[Valentin Albillo]

(12-30-2020 02:59 PM)EngineerX Wrote:  Hello all,

Let me ask you this:

If HP were to release the successor of the 35s, what features should it have?

Less bugs.

V.

[grsbanks]

(12-30-2020 02:59 PM)EngineerX Wrote:  If HP were to release the successor of the 35s, what features should it have?

A trashcan to throw it into.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(12-30-2020 02:59 PM)EngineerX Wrote:  ... what features should it have?

Mass storage access (either or all of Bluetooth, SD card, USB). With today's memory sizes a programmable calculator without a means of permanently storing and sharing data and programs does not make any sense at all. My preference would be plain text storage on an SD card because that would not require any software on the other side and there will still be easy ways to access it ten years from now.

Regards
Max

NB: And for my own personal needs I would like it to have a luminous display and if possible also a backlit keyboard.

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(12-30-2020 03:33 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  NB: And for my own personal needs I would like it to have a luminous display and if possible also a backlit keyboard.

I'd add also a torch, to find my way in this dark life... ;)

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(12-30-2020 03:59 PM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  I'd add also a torch, to find my way in this dark life...

A torch is not enough for that, it will also need a compass. And since this dark life is quite cold right now some heating device would be nice as well. A calculator which keeps one's hands warm during use will certainly put it aside from the competition :-)

Regards
Max

[Chr Yoko]

IP67 !!
A rugged calculator that could be used in a workshop, on the field with greasy hands, that can be easily decontaminated and washed.

A great screen with to lisibility outdoor and for low light conditions with a back or front light completed with a light keyboard too (with possibility to on/off the lights when necessary).

[Chr Yoko]

(12-30-2020 03:59 PM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 03:33 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  NB: And for my own personal needs I would like it to have a luminous display and if possible also a backlit keyboard.

I'd add also a torch, to find my way in this dark life...

No need as every man has already a flashlight and a knife in his pocket ;-)

[Marco Polo]

(12-30-2020 02:59 PM)EngineerX Wrote:  Hello all,

Let me ask you this:

If HP were to release the successor of the 35s, what features should it have?

Better quality, modern, and larger natural display?
Integrals, derivatives and summation on keyboard, with ability to apply these to the equation list?
More memory?
Ability to use 2 ou 3 characters to name variables and programs?

Thanks in advance.

I own a 35s since 2007,bought to replace a 33s due to its "creative" keyboard layout, but I never got a feeling with it mainly because of the display (mantissa bug, not present in 33s....). So, I will hardly buy its successor.
Imho, there is no need of a 35s successor.
Swissmicros produces the very good DM15L (a HP15c clone) sold at an honest price.
If you want more, and don't mind the price, you can choose a DM42, much better than the 35s.
The DM42 would be a good choice for me to downgrade from my 50g/48gx, having the capability to use named variables (up to 6 chars), large user memory and a flash to store state files. But.... why downgrade? ;-)

[toml_12953]

(12-30-2020 02:59 PM)EngineerX Wrote:  Hello all,

Let me ask you this:

If HP were to release the successor of the 35s, what features should it have?

Better quality, modern, and larger natural display?
Integrals, derivatives and summation on keyboard, with ability to apply these to the equation list?
More memory?
Ability to use 2 ou 3 characters to name variables and programs?

Thanks in advance.

I'm sure I'm the only person in the world who wants one but I'd like to see a desktop version with a large LCD display and a printer built in. Sort of like the 97 but graphing to the LCD as well.

[EngineerX]

(12-30-2020 04:36 PM)toml_12953 Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 02:59 PM)EngineerX Wrote:  Hello all,

Let me ask you this:

If HP were to release the successor of the 35s, what features should it have?

Better quality, modern, and larger natural display?
Integrals, derivatives and summation on keyboard, with ability to apply these to the equation list?
More memory?
Ability to use 2 ou 3 characters to name variables and programs?

Thanks in advance.

I'm sure I'm the only person in the world who wants one but I'd like to see a desktop version with a large LCD display and a printer built in. Sort of like the 97 but graphing to the LCD as well.

I would buy one as well to replace the 35s I own, which has help me through quite a bit of work. Mostly solving, integrating and differentiating equations. So, for me, a modern equation list equipped with an equation writer (like the Casios) would be nice. I don't think, in the age of tablets, that we should need to program a calculator to do simple tasks as these I just mentioned. The casio scientific calcs do all these but they are neither programmable nor are they RPN.

[EngineerX]

(12-30-2020 03:20 PM)Valentin Albillo Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 02:59 PM)EngineerX Wrote:  Hello all,

Let me ask you this:

If HP were to release the successor of the 35s, what features should it have?

Less bugs.

V.

I hear you. I had to key in large programs to compensate for the missing features and to bypass the bugs that could affect my work.

[John Keith]

(12-30-2020 03:33 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  Mass storage access (either or all of Bluetooth, SD card, USB). With today's memory sizes a programmable calculator without a means of permanently storing and sharing data and programs does not make any sense at all. My preference would be plain text storage on an SD card because that would not require any software on the other side and there will still be easy ways to access it ten years from now.

I could never understand why they made the 35s with large enough memory to store many programs but no way to back up or restore them. Even if it were free of bugs the lack of I/O makes it worthless for serious programming IMHO.
I use mine as my workshop calculator because I won't shed a tear if it is damaged.

[Sukiari]

Why buy a new Chinese HP when I can buy a classic but improved HP made in Switzerland by non-slave labor?

[Steve Simpkin]

(12-30-2020 06:56 PM)John Keith Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 03:33 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  Mass storage access (either or all of Bluetooth, SD card, USB). With today's memory sizes a programmable calculator without a means of permanently storing and sharing data and programs does not make any sense at all. My preference would be plain text storage on an SD card because that would not require any software on the other side and there will still be easy ways to access it ten years from now.

I could never understand why they made the 35s with large enough memory to store many programs but no way to back up or restore them. Even if it were free of bugs the lack of I/O makes it worthless for serious programming IMHO.
I use mine as my workshop calculator because I won't shed a tear if it is damaged.

The addition of I/O would probably have disqualified it from being used on NCEES tests. As to the bugs that were never fixed, HP did not budget for followup bug fixes.
Some insights on the development of the HP35s from Tim Wessman.

"No, that is what the calculator group at the tail end of the "let's outsource all our software and hardware development and make stuff just as good but cheaper and quicker" stage was able to produce under the management and with the budget allocated."

"The goal was to a) make money, b) fix the abomination that was the 33s (hey look! It has a modern shape and shiny colors! Look how cool it is!), and c) to give a nice improvement in capability and functionality while still meeting NCEES requirements."

https://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap...ead=191740

[J-F Garnier]

(12-30-2020 02:59 PM)EngineerX Wrote:  If HP were to release the successor of the 35s, what features should it have?

A HP-32SIII.
That is a 32SII with some little improvements, but keeping the same logic for menus, not à la 35S. And NOT these stupid cursor keys absolutely useless for this kind of machines.
On the software improvements, I'm thinking to use lower case letters for more global LBL and registers, local LBLs 0 9 (see the 41C), numeric STO/RCL for scratch use, keeping the alpha LBL and registers for global use.
Also a more complete complex function set.
A little more memory, not too much.
On the hardware side, a much lower off state power consumption (lower than the 35S I mean) to avoid draining the batteries in a couple of years (see the 15C, or even the 32S)

Nothing more.

The 32S is my favourite machine for quick calculations and my reference for simple everyday use.

J-F

[rawi]

First thing I would like: A little bit of customer orientation.
I'm a German and I bought a HP 35S some weeks ago at a big German retailer. I got it with two booklets meant to be a short introduction to the calculator. One was in French, the other in Dutch. I am not able to understand either language, so they are useless to me. I asked the retailer to provide a German or English introductory manual. The answer was: This is what they get from HP and they do not have influence on it.
Second: It would be easy to say: No bugs. But it is not possible to have no bugs. But it would be essential that known bugs are fixed and the operating system can be updated.
Third: A posssibility to save and exchange programs, ideally in ASCII-format and in calculator format.
Fourth: I understand that manuals are provided only in pdf-format for cost reasons. But it would be very nice if there would be an offer to buy a printed manual at a reasonable price. One of my favorite calculators is the TI 89 Titanium because it has a very good printed manual.
Fifth: Limiting the naming of programs to just one letter is not adequate. This should be done like with HP 41 or HP 42.
What should not be changed: I think the size of the calculator and the size of the keyboard are fine, the feeling of the keyboard is better than with most of today's calculators but worse than with HPs like the HP 41, but still OK. The memory size is fine if there is a possibility to save programs. If more memory is needed to solve a problem there are better ways than to use a calculator. The display is as well OK for a scientific calculator. If you want to make graphics there are other options.

Best

Raimund

[Peet]

Must have:
storage access

How it could look:
   

[EngineerX]

(12-30-2020 07:49 PM)Steve Simpkin Wrote:  The addition of I/O would probably have disqualified it from being used on NCEES tests.

Yes, most certainly. Calculators of today have one and only target: schools and universities. So, I wouldn't expect to see a 42s-like machine for students. HP knows it won't sell much.

(12-30-2020 07:49 PM)Steve Simpkin Wrote:  Some insights on the development of the HP35s from Tim Wessman.

"No, that is what the calculator group at the tail end of the "let's outsource all our software and hardware development and make stuff just as good but cheaper and quicker" stage was able to produce under the management and with the budget allocated."

I think this says a lot. No offense to the HP calculator team, it's not their fault, but this is why the 35s has so many quirks, evincing the machine was not properly tested prior release.

My rant, however, is that the 35s costs more than the equivalent casio machine and can do only a fraction of what the latter can out of the box. This leaves the user no other option but to finish (and fix) the software implementation by doing a lot of programming, ie, workarounds. That is not right.

[twoweims]

(12-30-2020 09:25 PM)Peet Wrote:  Must have:
storage access

How it could look:

Looks great. But should have HP-IL and a 14 segment font!