Why on earth did HP swap around the primary function keys?

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(02-09-2016 11:16 AM)damaltor Wrote:  On my desk i have two calculators for everyday use (I am an embedded software developer). The first is a HP-16C, the best ever calculator for this purpose, though it lacks most math functions which i ocassionally need. The second is a HP-41C which holds most of my often needed programs, and which i use for any maths the 16C doesnt cope with. One day or another i will add a 15C to this, because it is similar to the 16C (and similar to use). That one will lack the alpha functions though, which are nice on the 41C.

Still, i notice i tend to open the drawer and get out a 48G to make more advanced math, because i struggle to use the 41C because the add/sub/div/mul keys are on the "wrong" side and in the "wrong" order. I simply am used to right side, / * - + and ocassionally mistype on the 41C which has left side, - + * / (which means mirrored left/right, mirrored top/bottom, and plus and minus switched).

I guess i could live with either way when using it daily, but switching between those two layouts is kinda hard - so does anyone know why the setup was changed in the first place? I guess the "new" layout is kind of standard, on other calculators too, but if HP started with the "old" layout, was there a definitive reason to switch and to make advancing to a more modern device harder? Does anyone else have this first world problem?

Old thread hereabout... (just one of its iterations)
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