The HP 35S has arrived...
in [HP48]
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From: John H Meyers on 29 May 2007 08:37 On Tue, 29 May 2007 06:57:25 -0500, jsmanrique [author of "Utilidades Electrotecnia 1.2"] wrote: > And what about the hp10s?: > http://www.calculators-hp.com/10s.html > A solar cell calc from HP ;-) Originally from Casio, more recently via China. But even HP35s sports <-ENG and ENG-> http://www.hpcalc.org/search.php?query=manrique
From: altzone on 29 May 2007 09:23 On May 29, 10:24 pm, "John H Meyers" <jhmey...(a)nomail.invalid> wrote: > [looking back into history, having collected enough truly fine calcs > for my tomb, for reliable navigation in the after-life :] > > On Tue, 29 May 2007 03:25:03 -0500, Raymond Del Tondo wrote: > > At least it looks very promising, modern retro style > > with ENTER bar and arithmetic keys where they belong. > > I suppose by "arithmetic keys where they belong," > you mean one row lower down, rather than above ENTER ? > > There was very good reason for the original HP35's > arithmetic key placement, however, which was on the > left, with [+] and [*] adjacent in the middle > of the grouping, but that has long been forgotten. And what were those good reasons? Being a right hander I find having the last key I usually press (the arithmetic keys) on the left hand side very inefficient, as I have to move my hand to the left side, press the key and then bring my hand all the way back over to the naturally resting right side again. That's poor layout in my book. Having the arithmetic keys on the right side is more natural and efficient IMHO. Dave.
From: altzone on 29 May 2007 09:25 On May 29, 10:37 pm, "John H Meyers" <jhmey...(a)nomail.invalid> wrote: > On Tue, 29 May 2007 06:57:25 -0500, jsmanrique > [author of "Utilidades Electrotecnia 1.2"] wrote: > > > And what about the hp10s?: > >http://www.calculators-hp.com/10s.html > > A solar cell calc from HP ;-) > > Originally from Casio, more recently via China. > > But even HP35s sports <-ENG and ENG-> and thank goodness for that! Dave.
From: John H Meyers on 29 May 2007 10:33 [expanded -- first "send" might have got lost, anyway] JHM: > There was very good reason for the original HP35's > arithmetic key placement, however, which was on the > left, with [+] and [*] adjacent in the middle > of the grouping, but that has long been forgotten. On Tue, 29 May 2007 08:23:50 -0500, Dave wrote: > And what were those good reasons? Your right hand (most people are right-handed) does not hide the keys while you are entering digits, so you can see the (less frequently pressed) operation keys all the time, and may find them slightly faster and with fewer errors. > Being a right hander I find having the last key I usually press (the > arithmetic keys) on the left hand side very inefficient, as I have to > move my hand to the left side, press the key and then bring my hand > all the way back over to the naturally resting right side again. > That's poor layout in my book. Having the arithmetic keys on the right > side is more natural and efficient IMHO. If the operation keys were on the right, the (more frequently pressed) 7,4,1,0 column of digit keys would be just as far to the left instead (see the photo at http://www.hpmuseum.org/four35s.jpg); in fact, all the (more frequently pressed) digit keys would be farther to the left than otherwise, so you would, given that you rest your hand on the right side, always be performing more movement over the long run, however you may believe otherwise (ask people who are unaware of what's to be analyzed to just work out some problems, make videos of their movements, and see what adds up). The grouping of the (more frequently used) [+] and [*] operators at the center seems also to have been based on similar consideration, including that the sequence [*] [+] is used all the time when adding sums of products. We don't primarily use scientific calculators now to add up long grocery lists or invoices, however, so other considerations, including "what everyone else (or a competitor) does" come to be more important. Oh, by the way, if having operation keys at the right, by your resting hand, is so important, why isn't the frequently used ENTER key being at the very bottom right, accompanying the arithmetic keys, the very best place for it to be? On the original HP35, ENTER was in fact at the top of the arithmentic operators column; as time has passed (and the 49 series appeared), many wails have arisen about ENTER having moved to where it is, still along with the other most common functions, but I never heard anyone wail about the earlier moving of the arithmetic keys, perhaps because everyone was already conditioned by the rest of the industry having generally put arithmetic keys on the right, in the same order, which now one would fight to keep, just because it's become ingrained habit (which itself is one reason for established precedent to continue being followed, even if arbitrary, just as in law). --
From: John H Meyers on 29 May 2007 10:41
Just noticed another thing: >> Being a right hander I find having the LAST KEY I usually press >> (the arithmetic keys) on the left hand side very inefficient... It strikes me how typically modern a habit this is, just like corporations keeping only the last line of their most recent quarterly report in focus, forgetting all other perspective ;) -- |