The DM41L is here!

[WaltMaken]

Regarding the layout of the DM41L and DM41 keyboards.

I've seen some comments about the difficulty in finding the DM41L keys on the horizontal keyboard arrangement. Also I've seen comments that mentioned a concern that the operator keys on the DM41's were on the left of the number keys instead of on the right of the number keys as per the HP-15C, etc. For those who first became acquainted with HP calculators with the advent of the horizontal layout of the HP-15C, etc, I can understand those concerns.

However, as a long term user of the vertical format HP calculators (HP-65, HP-67, HP-41CX), I definitely like the way the HP-41CX keyboard layout has been adapted into the horizontal HP-15C style. If you look at the HP-41CX, and compare it to the DM41's you'll note that the functions of the two top rows of the HP-41CX (including the alpha characters) have been duplicated in the first 5 columns of the two top rows of the DM41's. And if you look at the operators (-, +. x. /) and numbers on the HP-41CX, you see that the operators are on the left of the numbers and that on the DM41's the operators are likewise on the left of the numbers. Further, on the DM41's the face and shifted functions of the last 4 columns of each of the 4 rows duplicate the face and shifted functions of the bottom 4 rows of the HP-41CX. The alpha characters assigned to the last 4 columns of each of the 4 rows were, of necessity, revised from their key locations on the HP-41CX. The key (no pun intended) to better understanding those revised alpha character locations is the vertical divider line that separates the first 5 columns from the last 5 columns on the DM41's. That divider line serves as a nice reminder that the default functions of the keys of the first five columns of the top two rows of the DM41's duplicate the default functions of the keys of the top two rows of the HP-41CX. That vertical divider line also serves both as a "carriage return" for the alpha characters of the first 5 columns of the top two rows of the DM41's as well as a "left margin" for the alpha characters of the last 5 columns of all 4 rows of keys.

Further note that the ON, gold, blue, STO, RCL, ENTER, and back arrow keys on the DM41's are in the same location as those same keys are on the DM15's, giving a bit of familiarity to those who began their HP calculator journey with the horizontal layouts of the Voyager series, instead of with the vertical layouts of the HP calculators that preceded the Voyagers.

Definitely hats off to Michael for bringing both the credit card and L model sized RPN's as well as now the L models, to market. I have bought both the DM41 as well as the DM41L and really like both of them. I especially like the long-life button batteries instead of the N batteries required for the HP-41CX.