Re: Graphing calculator form factor opinions Message #3 Posted by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) on 14 Nov 2004, 7:55 p.m., in response to message #1 by Hugh Evans
HI, Hugh;
I think this thread is a valid search for opinions; thank you! It's a good idea.
I think that without knowing what users want, it is hard to meet their needs. Nowadays, knowing what people want is somehow hard as well, because what you need today may not be in your list tomorrow. And I guess calculators resources are somehow like this.
That's the main reason I'd firstly search for a calculator with an upgradable O.S., like the HP49 'series' (of two, so far). My first option for a graphic calculator would be the one with an upgradable O.S. After that, I'd search for as much documentation as possible about the calc so I'd be able to access its inner resources. A NOMAS-based (NO MAnufacturer Support) open hardware (extended information, like the HP71) would be nice as well.
If applicable, I'd trade colors for 'easy' gray scale and higher resolution. I saw the images taken from the Xpander hi-res LCD and I found them a lot better. What I think is that graphics with low resolution may not be as practical today as they were in the end of the 80's, when the HP28C was introduced. I believe that calculators should have advantages against computers (or related resources) so they'd not be a weak concurrent. Anyway, if color AND hi-res display is possible, even better.
Along with the upgradable O.S., programming would be availble at the user needs. Why not adding small, instead powerfull compilers as the user needs them? The key would be a basic O.S. able to run all compiled applications and the user having the choice to develop them in his prefered language, amongst the ones avalilable. Not necessary to say that duplex I/O capability is mandatory.
About keyboard and number of keys: for me, whatever allows easy, reliable access to all resources (at least the most important ones) would be acceptable.
Cheers.
Luiz (Brazil)
|