Re: HP 48GII as a 42S? Message #15 Posted by Ron Ross on 30 Apr 2004, 10:05 a.m., in response to message #1 by Bill P
I feel the 48GII would make a fairly decent subsitute for the 42s. But I also used a plain 48G instead of a 42s and just wrote a few simple programs and made use of the solver for field work.
The 48G worked fine, was expendable, but is probably not nearly as tough as the 48GII probably is (guessing, but it is nearly the same as a 49G+, and that looks pretty durable). The LCD's is the older 48G's Archille's heel and the new LCD lense cures that!
Aside from the form factor, I like the 48G series best. I would be happy if Hp re-released the 48G without a graphics LCD and in a thinner, smaller model much like the Hp9G (or even better, a Pioneer case AND Keep the keyboard quality!!!!!). I really like the units conversion, serial port, equations library and the amount of functions. Equip the basic model with 256K RAM and use standard, not propriatory components.
I have noticed that my Hp42s is much more thrifty with the RAM than the 48 series ie a similiar program in the 42s seems to use only 60-70% of the RAM that the same type of program uses in a 48/49 series. However, my 32K RAM upgrade is really no big improvement over the original 8 K without any I/O (I would cry, if I loaded 10-20 K of programs and then seen a memory clear, and that can happen on a battery change).
I would like to have it with external I/O ports and modules but the basic calculator would be a maxed out 42s type machine. Add any periphials you want (ie like the 41 series via output moduals through a couple standard ports and a speciality ports) 4 standard ports I can name would be a mouse/serial port (give it two), a keyboard port, a USB port and a multi-channel custom port that could accept a VGA low end box. Make this small pioneer able to function as a low end PC/data collection tool if called upon. But the simple to market calculator would be a 42s like calculator with I/0, RAM and some extra goodies in functions (last part can be corrected with RAM) with the potential to do anything.
Just my idea of what an ideal calculator should be.
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