HP Forum Archive 20

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Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #1 Posted by Jim Yohe on 4 Feb 2011, 2:47 p.m. Did the release of ROM update version 2.15 eliminate all of the bugs in the HP-50g's bugs?

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #2 Posted by Crawl on 4 Feb 2011, 3:02 p.m., in response to message #1 by Jim Yohe What do you mean? I haven't had problems with 50g bugs for as far back as I can remember.

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #3 Posted by Jim Yohe on 4 Feb 2011, 3:43 p.m., in response to message #2 by Crawl I assume that the "bugs" found in the initial release of the HP-50g must have necessitated the firmware release to correct them otherwise there'd be no need to issue that release. I'm sorry but I don't own this calculator so wasn't making claims about its failings but was curious and wanted to ask ... just in case I ever do purchase one. I know that there were discussions in the forum archives about "bugs" along with a couple different firmware update releases.

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #4 Posted by Crawl on 4 Feb 2011, 4:41 p.m., in response to message #3 by Jim Yohe Quote: otherwise there'd be no need to issue that release. That's a faulty assumption. One ROM upgraded added an equation library, another added a periodic table function. It's not all about fixing bugs.

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #5 Posted by Tim Wessman on 4 Feb 2011, 5:42 p.m., in response to message #3 by Jim Yohe In a system as convoluted and complicated as that, there will always be bugs. However, the vast majority of issues that have ever been known have been long fixed. 2.15 added support for the streamsmart 400. That is its main "feature". TW

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #6 Posted by Glenn Shields on 4 Feb 2011, 10:19 p.m., in response to message #3 by Jim Yohe I just got a new one, since the one from about a year ago had a faulty up-arrow key, requiring a hard press to get it to work.The new one has a great feel and display. And with ver 2.15 LINSOLVE actually works, and is fun to use. But the real bug I wanted to test is the alarm bug, and alas, it is still there. It seems that the alarm gets fouled up after the time passes midnight, then it will not wake up the calculator. I even tried to set an alarm for the early am which sets a NEW alarm later in the morning, but that one didn't go off either. Is the alarm such a "lowly" function in such a machine as the 50g that we are expected to just live with it?? cheers, Glenn

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #7 Posted by Paul Gaster on 4 Feb 2011, 11:28 p.m., in response to message #6 by Glenn Shields No, one should not just live with it. The HP-41 series were programmed and used as alarms on the shuttle decades ago to remind astronauts to do certain tasks at certain times. How have calculators regressed so much since then?

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #8 Posted by Mike Morrow on 5 Feb 2011, 12:49 a.m., in response to message #6 by Glenn Shields I use the following program in an ALARM to automatically add a few seconds each day to the slow clock on my HP 50G, version 2.15: <24300 CLKADJ DROP> It works, so it can't be said that the ARM-based 49g+ and 50G machines have inoperable alarm functions. But...they are quirky and not as consistent in behavior as the same functions on the HP 48 series. It's definitely a bug, but it's been reported to be in the Saturn-to-ARM emulation.

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #9 Posted by Nicholas Winterer on 5 Feb 2011, 8:38 p.m., in response to message #1 by Jim Yohe How about the keyboard? Mine has a couple of keys that have lost their spring (they just stick down). Has anyone else had this problem? I am considering buying a new one because symbolic matrix operations would be handy for my linear algebra class, but if the keys are just going to break in two more years I might just try to put a CAS on my 48gx.

Re: Is the HP-50g bug free now? Message #10 Posted by Jim Yohe on 6 Feb 2011, 4:03 p.m., in response to message #9 by Nicholas Winterer You're right. A ROM update won't fix a "sticky" or "stuck" keyboard problem.

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