HP-33s & HP-50G keyboard design.

[Matt Agajanian]

Hi all.

Chevron layout of the 33s design and the 50G's keyboard aside, it strikes me as quite cluttered with both f & g functions right above the keys. I find the keyboard designs from Classics onwards with g functions on the slanted face of the keys much more organized and elegant. I'm sure both the 33s & 50G could have been designed with the Classic, Woodstock, etc. key styles.

So, my question is what was HP thinking when these cluttered keyboards were thought up?

[Marco Polo]

(06-20-2023 02:24 AM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  So, my question is what was HP thinking when these cluttered keyboards were thought up?

Hi.
I had a 33s for several years and could never get used to keyboard layout and color scheme.
An epic fail imho. I replaced it with a 35s, which imho has a very good keyboard layout (not perfect...) and color scheme. I prefer it cover the 32Sii's....

Regarding the 50g, all in all is not so bad, especially with its color scheme.
Consider that such layout was born with 49g and its questionabile color scheme, not to mention rubber keys

[Thomas Radtke]

Printing key tops is maybe less expensive when restricting it to just one facet. HP seemed to put a lot of effort into cost reduction.

[John Garza (3665)]

(06-20-2023 08:16 AM)Thomas Radtke Wrote:  Printing key tops is maybe less expensive when restricting it to just one facet. HP seemed to put a lot of effort into cost reduction.

100% agree.

But understand these are not true HP machines. They are Kinpos.

If you want a real Hewlett Packard machine buy one from the pre-Carly days.

-J

[Gilles]

IMO the HP50g keyboard is very well designed. Perhaps big ENTER key and left position for /*-+ keys will be better but it's an endless debate ;D
It's probably a matter of habit but I prefer the 50g keyboard organisation vs my old 48sx