The Museum of HP Calculators

HP Forum Archive 17

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35s initial thoughts
Message #1 Posted by Egan Ford on 26 July 2007, 8:16 p.m.

My 35s (S/N 1904) arrived from Walmart on July 21st. I just got home from a road trip. Today is the first day I got a chance to use it.

Thoughts:

  1. The internal case nylon webbing used to hold whatever feels like sandpaper if you run your fingers over it. I am curious if this may rub off key paint. I am interested in other cases. My favorite is the 50g case, a mini version of that would be great. I find the 48,41,71 zipper cases catch on the keys often when being unholstered. However the 35s zipper case does not have this problem.

  2. My screen is square, unlike a few others. However the annunciators at the top are too close to the edge, the wrong lighting casts a shadow that make them a bit hard to read.

  3. I have missed 3 keystrokes. At least one other has reported this. Unsure if there is a physical problem or if I just need to learn how to use it. I have not had this problem with any other HP (12C,15C,16C,41CX,42S,48GX,50g,71B). Only happened within the first 30 seconds of use, perhaps my brain figured it out.

  4. I have not finished the documentation, but I was surprised that the first page didn't start out with "Congratulations, ...", or "You have in your hand...". Nothing about the significance of the original 35 and the last 35 years. The manual just starts out with "Getting started". I like how the 12C manual starts, "Although the excitement of acquiring this powerful financial tool may prompt you to set this handbook aside and immediately begin 'pressing buttons,'..." How many of you did that? Where's the hype?

  5. The orange letters are a bit difficult to read. And I have good eyes. The shade of orange used by the 50g is much better. White would have been good too.

  6. Feels solid, almost as solid as my 15C. Little to no flex when twisted.

  7. Value. Excellent. I got my 15C in 1984 for $135. In 1984 this 35s would have been $25. I would have taken it over the 15C for the savings.

      
Re: 35s initial thoughts
Message #2 Posted by Les Wright on 26 July 2007, 9:11 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Egan Ford

I like the clamshell case but may use it for something else. Maybe putting some so

The 33S slip case I always liked, and it is a perfect fit.

Les

      
Re: 35s initial thoughts
Message #3 Posted by Thomas Radtke on 27 July 2007, 3:41 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Egan Ford

Quote:
  • I have missed 3 keystrokes. At least one other has reported this. Unsure if there is a physical problem or if I just need to learn how to use it. I have not had this problem with any other HP (12C,15C,16C,41CX,42S,48GX,50g,71B). Only happened within the first 30 seconds of use, perhaps my brain figured it out.
    • I guess there is some kind of coating from production that wears whith use.
          
    Re: 35s initial thoughts
    Message #4 Posted by Nenad (Croatia) on 27 July 2007, 7:18 a.m.,
    in response to message #1 by Egan Ford

    Quote:
    I have not finished the documentation, but I was surprised that the first page didn't start out with "Congratulations, ...", or "You have in your hand...". Nothing about the significance of the original 35 and the last 35 years. The manual just starts out with "Getting started". I like how the 12C manual starts, "Although the excitement of acquiring this powerful financial tool may prompt you to set this handbook aside and immediately begin 'pressing buttons,'..." How many of you did that? Where's the hype?

    These times have certainly gone. From a point of view of an ordinary person (not a HP addict) who nowadays needs a calculator, what should be so exciting and outstanding in buying one? Finally, 35s is nothing more than a calculator. In most cases calculators do not mean anything at all to the generation who is now e.g. 14 to 24 years old. They are much more interested in mobile phones, but this is another story.

    We have to face these facts. Maybe, the manual of my dishwasher starts with "Congratulations!", but who knows. Nobody of us at my home have ever read the manual, just started to press buttons...

          
    Re: 35s initial thoughts
    Message #5 Posted by Vincze on 27 July 2007, 8:35 a.m.,
    in response to message #1 by Egan Ford

    Quote:

  • I have missed 3 keystrokes. At least one other has reported this. Unsure if there is a physical problem or if I just need to learn how to use it. I have not had this problem with any other HP (12C,15C,16C,41CX,42S,48GX,50g,71B). Only happened within the first 30 seconds of use, perhaps my brain figured it out.

    • Egan, what do you mean that you have missed 3 keystroke? Do you mean your fingers pushed wrong button?

                
    Re: 35s initial thoughts
    Message #6 Posted by Egan Ford on 27 July 2007, 8:41 a.m.,
    in response to message #5 by Vincze

    Press "ENTER", nothing. Press again it works. Pressed "55", got "5".

                      
    Re: 35s initial thoughts
    Message #7 Posted by Katie Wasserman on 27 July 2007, 9:40 a.m.,
    in response to message #6 by Egan Ford

    I have found a few dropped keystrokes as well. My 35s also has a slight LCD alignment problem -- that's not too disturbing.

                            
    Re: 35s initial thoughts
    Message #8 Posted by Gene Wright on 27 July 2007, 11:17 a.m.,
    in response to message #7 by Katie Wasserman

    I wonder if the keys are being pressed too quickly, one after the other.

    If you look closely at the display, you'll see the BUSY indicator (it's a B) come on each time you press a key, whether digit or ENTER or ...

    Perhaps if the calculator is busy when you press the next keystroke, it isn't registering?

    I have no idea what type of input buffer (if any) the machine has.

                                  
    Re: 35s initial thoughts --> Lost keystrokes
    Message #9 Posted by Katie Wasserman on 27 July 2007, 12:19 p.m.,
    in response to message #8 by Gene Wright

    I thought that might be the problem too, keying too fast. But there does seem to be a keystroke buffer and it is 5 characters in length. Try doing a long computation time function like: 300 ENTER 150 nCr. While the calculator is busy type 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... at a slow/normal entry speed and when the function ends you'll get 1 2 3 4 5. Now do the same thing but type in 1 2 3 4 5 6 .... really fast and you see that the calculator misses some of the digits and might show that you entered 1248 for example.

    Admittedly this is not a normal thing to do, but I think demonstrates the missing keystroke problem. My guess is that the keyboard scanning routine isn't running fast enough to capture everything and the keystroke buffer isn't going to help this problem.

    Try the same thing on a 32SII, and you'll find the keystroke buffer is just 3 characters in length, but the keyboard scanning routine never misses any keys.

    -Katie

                                  
    Re: 35s initial thoughts
    Message #10 Posted by bill platt on 27 July 2007, 2:07 p.m.,
    in response to message #8 by Gene Wright

    I don't get a "B". I don't have missed keystrokes.

                                  
    Re: 35s initial thoughts
    Message #11 Posted by Egan Ford on 27 July 2007, 3:39 p.m.,
    in response to message #8 by Gene Wright

    Quote:
    I wonder if the keys are being pressed too quickly, one after the other.
    No. It happened within the first 30 seconds, key presses were slow since I was not familiar with the keyboard.

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