HP Forum Archive 17

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Got my HP-35S Message #1 Posted by Antonio Maschio (Italy) on 7 Nov 2007, 2:47 a.m. Finally. But the manual is someway a result of the English version through BabelFish! Ah, if they had looked at the Italian version of the HP-32SII manual, before writing this rubbish! Old HP care on documentation is lost. Forever? -- Antonio

Re: Got my HP-35S Message #2 Posted by Walter B on 7 Nov 2007, 2:53 a.m., in response to message #1 by Antonio Maschio (Italy) Buon giorno Antonio, welcome to the club :)

Re: Got my HP-35S Message #3 Posted by Antonio Maschio (Italy) on 7 Nov 2007, 6:01 a.m., in response to message #2 by Walter B You mean the German version is also bad? -- Antonio

Re: Got my HP-35S Message #4 Posted by Walter B on 7 Nov 2007, 4:33 p.m., in response to message #3 by Antonio Maschio (Italy) Not at all AFAIK. I just wanted to welcome you in the club of HP35s-users :)

Re: Got my HP-35S Message #5 Posted by Alfredo (Italy) on 7 Nov 2007, 3:29 a.m., in response to message #1 by Antonio Maschio (Italy) I also got an HP 35s yesterday. The first impression is good, it seems a quality product and I like the touch of the keys. I agree that the Italian manual is rubbish; I don't understand why they "translated" it, if they could not pay a decent translator it would have been better to include an English manual. I would like to meet the idiot who designed the blister: I struggled for half an hour to open it, why can't they have a simple carton box as the old calculators (I remember, for example, the nice box of the HP 15C which I bought at the end of the 80's). Moreover, it's a waste of plastic. BTW, wouldn't it be nice to have a new scientific calculator with the same form factor as the 15C? I find it much more comfortable.

Re: Got my HP-35S Message #6 Posted by bill platt on 7 Nov 2007, 8:09 a.m., in response to message #5 by Alfredo (Italy) It saves them pennies in stolen merchandise, but as they are not responsible for paying the hospital bills for injuries, nor for wasted customer time, it is good for them. Obviously in the grand scheme, the new packaging paradigm is a net loser.

Re: Got my HP-35S Message #7 Posted by Martin Pinckney on 7 Nov 2007, 12:19 p.m., in response to message #5 by Alfredo (Italy) Quote: I would like to meet the idiot who designed the blister: I struggled for half an hour to open it, why can't they have a simple carton box as the old calculators (I remember, for example, the nice box of the HP 15C which I bought at the end of the 80's). Moreover, it's a waste of plastic. Agreed, but that's the way all small electronics are packaged in the U.S. today. It won't change unless consumers boycotted the products, unlikely to happen. You are lucky if they don't do such ridiculous things in Italy. Quote: BTW, wouldn't it be nice to have a new scientific calculator with the same form factor as the 15C? I find it much more comfortable. There has been much discussion on here about this very idea. Somehow I don't think it will come out of HP, at least if the 35s is a market success, since offering another form factor would dilute sales of both. HP probably thinks there is not enough market for multiple platforms. After all, they still offer the 33s in addtion to 35s, not to mention the cheaper models.

Re: Got my HP-35S Message #8 Posted by Frank Rottgardt on 8 Nov 2007, 4:08 p.m., in response to message #5 by Alfredo (Italy) Hi Alfredo, Quote: why can't they have a simple carton box as the old calculators Almost one year ago I made my company buying me a 33s since I denied to use one of these TIs everyone around got. Telling them RPN is best and the only "language" I am able to speak when holding a calculator in my hands the only wondered "RP....what?" My 33s came in a very nice carton box. I have never seen a 33s / 35s in a store. Nobody sells them here in Sweden (only internet). All picture of 33s from Japan to the US seems to come in a transparent blister. Is Sweden the only country stickin to old fashion carton boxes? // Frank

Re: Got my HP-35S Message #9 Posted by Paul Brogger on 7 Nov 2007, 6:33 p.m., in response to message #1 by Antonio Maschio (Italy) Quote: Ah, if they had looked at the Italian version of the HP-32SII manual, before writing this rubbish! To "Italian": Quote: Amperora, se avessero guardato la versione italiana del manuale di HP-32SII, prima della scrittura dei questi rifiuti! and back to "English": Quote: Ampere-hour, if they had watched the Italian version of the HP-32SII handbook, before the writing of the these refusals! I don't see what all the complaining is about! ;-)

HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #10 Posted by Karl Schneider on 7 Nov 2007, 8:19 p.m., in response to message #1 by Antonio Maschio (Italy) Hi, Antonio -- In all seriousness, the services of skilled technical writers and translators adds to the cost; the low prices of today's products do not support the "added value" of excellent manuals. Some decline in the quality of manuals was evident in the Pioneer series of 1988. Naturally, there's an archived "SchneiderPost" on the topic... :-) http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/archv016.cgi?read=100763#100763 -- KS

Re: HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #11 Posted by Antonio Maschio (Italy) on 8 Nov 2007, 12:29 p.m., in response to message #10 by Karl Schneider Well, the Italian version of my HP-32SII calculator manual was excellent; of course someway less intriguing than the HP-15C manual (less examples, for instance), but the lexicon was precise and the Italian language perfect. There were no English insertions, no mistranslated titles, and all sounded good to my Italian ears (I personally know the Italian technician who made the translation, and I know his skill). I have nothing against low-cost manuals, but they should be prepared country by country (e.g. an Italian for the Italian version, a German for the German one, and so forth - all basing on the English one), and if cost matters, well: the manual could be reduced in size. Automatic translation is not perfect, nowadays (or, at least, free automatic translations like BabelFish), so a big enterprise like HP shouldn't lean upon it (and if you tell me manuals are prepared in China, I answer that a big enterprise like HP shouldn't lean upon Chinese translators for all countries). Thanks for your answer. Ciao! -- Antonio

Re: HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #12 Posted by bill platt on 8 Nov 2007, 1:48 p.m., in response to message #11 by Antonio Maschio (Italy) Put it another way: Just because it is inexpensive doesn't make it right to be poor quality. Are your razor-blades expensive? It is better to provide less, but all good quality, than more, but all crappy or spotty quality. And as for manuals being "expensive" I cannot believe that a mass-marketed mass-produced item cannot amortize the cost of a manual for a market that is considered viable, e.g. various european countries. If it is marginal then that is a very marginal market. In round numbers, what does it cost to translate that book? $10,000 euroues?

Re: HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #13 Posted by Antonio Maschio (Italy) on 9 Nov 2007, 9:47 a.m., in response to message #12 by bill platt Quote: Are your razor-blades expensive? Bad example. I'm bearded! ;-) ----- Seriously, I agree with you. -- Antonio Edited: 9 Nov 2007, 9:48 a.m.

Re: HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #14 Posted by Meenzer on 9 Nov 2007, 10:44 a.m., in response to message #12 by bill platt Quote: Just because it is inexpensive doesn't make it right to be poor quality. You are right, of course with this... But still: Quote: Are your razor-blades expensive? My HP 35s costs me around 70 EUR and serves me for, well, the next 20 years. That comes down to 1 cent per day. Razor blades cost me 10 EUR per 4 pieces (Wilkinson Quattro). I use one for, say, 5 days. This is 50 cent per day... They ARE expensive!!!

Re: HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #15 Posted by bill platt on 9 Nov 2007, 2:16 p.m., in response to message #14 by Meenzer Wow. When you look at it that way, you're right! I still use classic safety razors: the double edged, rather than dble-blade, and they seem to stay good for at least 2 weeks or even more. My barber still uses a straight razor. But I digress :-)

Re: HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #16 Posted by Dave Shaffer (Arizona) on 9 Nov 2007, 3:46 p.m., in response to message #15 by bill platt It's time for you guys to switch to an electric razor! My Norelco rechargable has lasted twenty years already. It needs new blades every few years and I think I've changed the NiCd batteries once. I am at a few cents per day, not much more than Meenzer's HP35. You can use the money you save to buy your next calc!

Re: HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #17 Posted by Meenzer on 9 Nov 2007, 3:51 p.m., in response to message #16 by Dave Shaffer (Arizona) Quote: It's time for you guys to switch to an electric razor! [OT] ;-) I have an electric one that can be used with shaving foam. Best of both worlds. Like a TI/Casio with RPN... ;-) [/OT]

Re: HP-35S (Italian documentation) Message #18 Posted by Frank Rottgardt on 10 Nov 2007, 5:02 a.m., in response to message #16 by Dave Shaffer (Arizona) Donīt forget about the guys having a beard like iron wire. For me electric razors are a kind of machete to get one through the rough. Razor blades are then for the "art-work" impossible to do with an electric razor.

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