Recap of HP calculators emulators for PDAs
Message #1 Posted by Vincent Weber on 31 Aug 2003, 6:56 a.m.
Hi all,
In these days where old HP calculators are missed, I would like to
share my experience of HP calculators for PDAs, since I never found
the posts on this subjects exhaustive. I hope the follwoing info will
be useful. I think it is pretty complete, but please feel free to add
to the list !
1) HP-41:
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The queen of the 80's, still very useful today, especially with the
Advantage ROM, making it one of the very few calculators on PDA
supporting matrixes.
- For PalmOS: P41CX is a faithful, accurate and fast emulator for the
41CX (with time & extended memory functions). I use this program
daily. It can be found on www.palmgear.com. What is remarkable of this
emulator is that it allows hot-swap of nearly of the modules made for
the 41. You have also printing to memo, 2-lines display, object loader
- all this for a mere $10. A fantastic program.
There was another emulator for PalmOs called Coconut... but the author
has decided to discontinue it. It was good, but not as accurate and
fast as P41CX. It integrated a full printer display, though.
- For PocketPC: eV41 is also a very good emulator. It does not support
2 lines nor printing, though. But the look and feel is very good.
2) HP-48/49
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The queens of the nineties...
- For PalmOS: A fantastic emulator called Power48, totally free. It
can be found at: power48.mobilevoodoo.com. Absolutely fast and
accurate, with very realistic faceplates. Lucky owners of Sony Clie NX
and NZ series with Hires+ mode (320x480) can enjoy a full size
calculator without having to zoom the screen. Sadely, there is not
(yet) emulation of port2 nor custumizable faceplates ("KML"s in Emu48
terminology).
- For PocketPC: There is Emu48CE V1.23
(web.jet.es/leobueno/emu48.htm). Sadely, this is not a vey good piece
of software... not so stable, and can lag. A (not so good) adaptation
of Emu48 for PocketPC, which has not been updated for a long time. Far
less usable than its PalmOS counterpart, Power48. (Yet another) good
reason to go for a Palm ?
- For EPOC32 (PsionOS): For die-hard Psion lovers (I used to be one),
there is a recent very good emulator: Emu48E 1.4. It can be found on
www.hpcalc.org.
3) HP-15C
------
A fantastic calc ahead of its time, the first one to integrate
matrixes and complex numbers on the stack.
There is no actual emulator... The HP-15C is a closed system from
which the ROM cannot be uploaded. However, there is fantastic
SIMULATOR for PocketPC: Pocket15C
(http://www.lygea.com/pocket15cdetail.htm). A simulator of HP-41 and
HP-48 calculators would be a little interest since the machine code
programs would not work; but for a HP-15C which is not very
"hackable", never mind. A simulator gives the opportunity to enhance
the calculator. Pocket15C, unlike an atucal HP-15C, is able to display
programs in alphanumeric form (this was the major complain against the
very good 15C - programs were very hard to edit), is very fast (The
15C is very slow), has plenty of memory (999 registers + 64 registers
per matrix). A must have for PocketPC owners. I really wished there
was such a product for PalmOS... Of course the squarish screens of
Palm devices make it a bit cumbersome to display the
rectangular-shaped Voyager series, but the NX or NZ series should do
this just fine. Wait and see...
4) HP-12C
------
The best selling HP calculator is also widely emulated. I will just
quote two "emulators" (simulators actually).
- PalmOS: KK-12C (www.palmgear.com). A very nice product, very
accurate able (unlike the actual 12C) to load external programs. It
deals with the squarish screen of the Palm (vs. the rectangular shape
of Voyager calcs) by cutting the screen into two possible views. Not
perfect, but usuable.
- Pocket12C: The business counterpart of Pocket15C from Lygea,
described above, with the same qualities.
Note that Lygea also make a "10B+" simulator (extended 10BII) but I
find this of little interest...
5) HP-16C
------
- PalmOS: Palm16C 1.0.0 (wwww.palmgear.com). A bit rough, does not
look very sexy, but does the job.
- PocketPC: Nothing yet - but I heard from Lygea that they are
preparing a Pocket16C ! Wait and see...
Now, what is missing:
1) HP-42S:
------
Probably the most complete (with no I/O, but this could be patched in
an emulator) pre-RPL HP calc... and sadely, no emulator for PDAs.
There is none emulator for Windows by Christoph Giesselink:
http://privat.swol.de/ChristophGiesselink/Lewis/Hp42demo.zip
It is quite fine, but the ROM is -not- included for obscure copyright
reasons within HP (I fail to understand why 41/48/49 ROMs are
available while the 42 is not !). Christoph has no intention to port
it to PalmOS or PocketPC.
I am trying to make a 42S -simulator- (with extensions such fractions
& equations support from the 32SII, better (direct) alpha entry,
user-redifinable keyboard, to address the (very few) weaknesses of the
'42). It is still an early project, but I think it would be welcome...
any interest ? :)
2) HP-32Sii:
--------
Would be nice to have. Not as powerful as the 42, does not handle
matrixes, handle complex numbers in a rather primitive way, limited to
only 27 variables. But very easy to use and nice touches, such as
equation and fractions support. Looking at the 'Power Rangers' look of
the new 33S calculator supposed to replace the 32SII... There may be
some room for developping a 32SII simulator / emulator :) But the
32SII is another 'closed' system, with no way to get the ROM other
than asking HP...
3) HP-17Bii
--------
Same remark as above: Looking at the new 17B+ '10Bii-syle- case...
there may be some room for a 17Bii emulator !
4) Others
------
- 28C/S: I don't think an emulator would be relevant: No PDA has big
enough a screen to emulator the double keyboard, while a 48 emulator
does most of the things better than the 28 (expect for the
catalogs...)
- 19Bii: Same remark (same case).
- Pre-41 models: Would be nice for nostalgy, altough the 41 or even
15C can do most of the things they did. Nevertheless, a
65/67/25C/29C/34C emulator would certainly be sucessful :)
My 2 cents...
Vincent
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