A poll again, concerning the 43S (again)

[walter b]

(01-07-2015 01:42 PM)Han Wrote:  I still don't understand why the layout is STILL being discussed.

Simply because there's no other sign that the 43S is an active project. Eric and Richard are pretty quiet unless you tease them a bit. As you might know, the WP 34S team waits for one prototype each for many months so far ... and without such prototypes, no real firmware development can start.

Quote:If you do it in a modular way, it won't matter, and users can rearrange the keys to their liking. On the software side, the keyboard should rely on a key table. On the HP48, this was basically a ROM pointer to the actual code for that key. Thus, changing the behavior of the n-th key simply meant changing the n-th ROM pointer. On the hardware side, make the keys so that one can "pop" it out and move it.

I agree with you on the SW approach. Mechanical HW I discussed with Massimo recently - it's Eric's realm, thus he shall respond.

Quote:The only thing that may still be an issue are the labels that aren't on the keys themselves. Here, perhaps overlays could be used.

This is going to happen AFAIK.

Quote:So do as HP did -- make a decision and go with it. People will buy them if the calculator is well made.

We will. Please, however, see my first answer as well.

Quote:But make it modular so that people can "customize" their calc. During first boot up, have them set up their default keyboard by asking them, in sequence, to press the + key, the - key, and so on, so as to assign the key table.

Such a boot procedure isn't necessary. You may have noticed there is an ASSIGN function provided. It will allow customizing 42 2/3 keys, i.e. 128 labels. All user assignments in total can be stored in a register or variable and may be recalled thereafter as often as you like.

d:-)