Re: Finally got my HP-42S Message #2 Posted by Mike Morrow on 23 July 2007, 4:17 p.m., in response to message #1 by Seth Morabito
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One of them has a flat, glossy LCD (1990 serial number), while the other has a recessed, matte LCD (1993 serial number). The newer LCD seems to be a little higher quality, maybe...
I haven't checked the software version on them yet...
I bought two 1993 versions that the local university bookstore still had in stock in 1997. Serial numbers start with 3328S.
Turn it on, push LN and EXIT, and the self-test will start. My units say the firmware version is HP-42-E.
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...It's like having a teeny tiny 41CV in my pocket.
It's much better than that. The HP42S is five times faster, has much greater precision, has many more built-in functions, operates naturally in the complex domain, manipulates matrices much easier, has built-in solve and integrate functions, etc. The HP-41C/CV/CX has none of these, and even a HP-41C with Advantage module leaves much to be desired in comparison. The only thing that I miss that's on my HP-41CX is the clock/calendar/time functions.
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The only things I don't like about it are the LCD...and the alpha entry mode.
I've no real complaints about the LCD. It is good for a 20-year old calculator design. And it really wasn't designed to be a text processor.
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Overall, impressive. I look forward to playing with it more!
Take a look at the information at:
http://www.finseth.com/~fin/hpdata/hp42s.html
The built-in memory scanner/debugger is described on that page. By poking the appropriate value in the appropriate location, you can double the speed, at least until the value gets re-initialized on the next machine reset. This is not all that useful, but it's fun to be able to play with the machine's internal settings.
Mike
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