Re: Open45s: Functionality Message #26 Posted by Maximilian Hohmann on 9 Nov 2007, 8:26 a.m., in response to message #1 by Pavneet Arora
Hello!
Quote: How about everyone else?
I wrote a longish answer before, but since I won't get "my" calcualtor anyway (reading the answers from the last days shows me, that the treck seems to be moving n the opposite direction :-( ), I will post a short one now.
Quote: Let's break our own wishlist into:
1. "have to haves",
2. "love to have",
3. "even if it had it I wouldn't care" ;).
1.1. Portrait format ("Pioneer" ?). I need to use my calculator handheld and find this impossible with landscape layouts.
1.2. Rechargeable batteries of standard dimensions (AA or AAA). I won't even touch a calculator that can only be run on disposable batteries. I am not environmentalist enough to try and force my views on other people, therefore "standard size" is important so that anybody can decide for himself what type of batteries to use.
1.3. Luminous, highest possible contrast display. Nothing else will do in my working environment, therefore I am not interested in anything else.
1.4. As configurable as possible. Maybe delivered with a blank (metal) faceplate that can be (laser) engraved for everybodies special need.
1.5. Rugged construction, preferably metal with real glass over the display.
1.6. USB. Seen as an external hard drive from the computer so that programs written on the computer and data entered on the computer can be dragged and dropped into the device. Just as I do it with my 5-Euro-MP3-player. Don't care if that will add another 3 Euros to the cost. No fuzzing about with memory cards and cryptic commands to access their contents (anybody remembers the horrible way this is done on a 48SX?).
1.7. Algebraic option. I will need to hand this calculator to a colleague from time to time and don't want to teach them RPN.
1.8. Date and Time functions, real time clock with timer and alarm and the possibility to make calculations with time values (just like the "H.MS+" key on a '67).
1.9. Good alphanumeric prompts.
2.1. A good mathematical library in the background. Not necessarily accessible from the keyboard, but awailable for writing ones own programs.
2.2. Keystroke programming. But I much prefer to write programs on the computer and transfer them to the calculator for use.
3.1. Graphics
3.2. Financial functions (I have no money anyway...)
3.3. A solver (never used one, don't even know what it is good for?)
3.4. CAS (I have one from Ti, there's no way to top that with an amateur project, useless to waste time and resources on that).
3.5. Fractions
Greetings, Max
NB: Here is an interesting semi-professional device that is also a kind of an amateur project, a flight management system for flight simulator enthusiasts ("simmers"): http://www.flyengravity.com/page/shop/7
It has many things in common with this calculator project, maybe we can learn from those guys?
I would very much like a calculator the shape of this thing, with function keys along the sides of a mulit-line screen.
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