HP Forum Archive 07

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Just an idea... Message #1 Posted by Jean on 30 Jan 2002, 6:27 a.m. I ‘m watching my old 38G. A very nice shell design, durable, keys with the real HP touch, keypad not overloaded, and a very nice and readable screen. But the software is very limited. It does not allow variable names longer than one character, does not offer thousands separator..... Would it not be possible to develop an operating system or two, making this hardware to a true successor of the scientific and business series? One hardware, two or maybe even more different operating systems and software. You buy the "empty calc" or just a basic functionality and download the operating system and software from the net according to your needs and pay for the download. You could select UPN or algebraic implementation, it should give you some graphical capabilities and it should clearly be much simpler and more user-oriented, than the 48/49 series. Similar solutions are available for some PDA’s, however without the dedicated keyboard and design of a real calc they remain unsatisfactory for serious use. Just an idea… Jean (Switzerland)

Re: Just an idea... Message #2 Posted by Tom (UK) on 30 Jan 2002, 1:19 p.m., in response to message #1 by Jean I think this can be done with the HP48GX by using plug-in cards. I think this idea was only taken up for some 'industrial' applications (surveying?). The HP48G(X) (like the HP41 and 42) can use keyboard overlays so the keys can be customised for the downloaded software (this good feature is sadly missing on the HP49G).

Re: Just an idea... Message #3 Posted by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) on 31 Jan 2002, 7:46 a.m., in response to message #2 by Tom (UK) Hi; I believe the worst of it is the prefixed keyboard. As you mention, Tom, the HP49 cannot be customized WITH THE AVAILABLE O.S., but if we can load it with another, they can become even case sensitive. I wonder about the memory management. The HP49G has .5 MByte in RAM and 1 MByte in flash for the user, and 1 MByte for system. There is a barrier for this 1 MByte that may be also a SW barrier. What about a small (<=500 KBytes) O.S. with 2 MBytes mem for user OR system? Just another idea... (Where are the 49 S.W. builders, so we can try something?)

Re: Just an idea... Message #4 Posted by Jean on 31 Jan 2002, 11:48 a.m., in response to message #1 by Jean My idea was rather to use the simple and "hp-quality" design of HP38G to implement something like a 19IIb, 27S or 28S calc, rather than the high-end and complex 48/49. Particularly with 49 I miss the hp feeling anyway. One hardware platform and several applications as needed. Jean (Switzerland)

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