Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!boulder!frechett From: frechett@boulder.Colorado.EDU (-=Runaway Daemon=-) Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds Subject: Re: HP48SX questions Message-ID: <25983@boulder.Colorado.EDU> Date: 10 Sep 90 22:47:02 GMT References: <26470@mimsy.umd.edu> Sender: news@boulder.Colorado.EDU Reply-To: frechett@snoopy.Colorado.EDU (-=Runaway Daemon=-) Distribution: usa Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder Lines: 81 In article <26470@mimsy.umd.edu> folta@tove.cs.umd.edu (Wayne Folta) writes: >I played with a HP-48SX for about 15 minutes today, and I have a couple of >questions (I did not have access to a manual): >1. Can it be locked in alpha entry mode? (I think I did it once, but otherwise > it always shifted out of alpha after one character). And can it be locked > in lowercase alpha? It can be locked into the alpha mode by pressing alpha twice. One more to unlock it. As for locking it in lowerase. When it is locked in uppercase, just press left-shift alpha and it will change to lowercase until you turn it off. >2. Is the user interface slow? I was struck by how slow it was to drop items > from the stack and to delete the previous character with the back-arrow > key. But then maybe I had it in a weird mode that slowed it down. The user interface CAN be slow. Depends on what mode you are in and what is happening with memory and stuff. Just playing with mine right now, stuff can be taken off the stack very quickly. And my backspace is quick. What I have found is that repeated keypresses are much faster than holding a key down. I don't know why they did this but I suppose there are reasons. As someone mentioned a long time ago, I think I would be happy to give up the equation writer for faster editting speed in the program entry mode. The Equation writer is horribly slow. >3. It seems to have calendar functions. Could it be used as a mini-Wizard to > keep track of a few dates and phone numbers? Can you set alarms that > beep (even if the calculator is off) to grab your attention? Yes, alarms can be set to do ANYTHING. I was playing around and made an alarm that would play part of the 1812 overture. ;) You can set alarms to keep the clock set precisely, and a host of other interesting things. I have a phone number program that is pretty basic. I would love to see a better version but so far have not come across one yet. >4. Does the serial interface software (for the Mac) include any value added > over a simple kermit program? From, what I have heard, there is nothing really special that comes with the serial cable kit. I said screw the $45-$50 for a cable and made one myself. I made a nice cable that I would suspect is easily as good as the one HP makes. Just curious, anyone with the hp cable, can you hang your calc from the cable without worrying about it? ;) >5. I saw it mentioned somewhere that you could print nicer graphs on the Mac, > from the HP. Is this literally true, in that you literally get better > (more detailed, etc.) graphs, or does it simply mean that you can print > the same graphs to a nicer printer? No idea, sorry... he he he >6. It says you can add your own measurement units. Are they treated exactly > like built-in units in terms of power and usage? (If they don't have them, > I'd like to add points, picas, and other printing units, among others.) Yes, they can be made to be treated the same way that the built in ones are. I use the unit stuff alot. It is possible to make up some pretty wild ones. >7. Last, I wore the wrong shirt, so I couldn't tell... Can it fit in a > ANSI-standard shirt pocket :-), or at least a Land's End shirt pocket? I suppose that if you don't mind leaning to the side a bit. It is not heavy per-se, but rather awkward... Not recomended for pockets. I keep it in my pack but have noticed recently that it has been getting turned on by itself. I am trying to figure out something that I can put in the case that will keep it from coming on, but also not scar up the face of the machine. >Thanks. >-- > > >Wayne Folta (folta@cs.umd.edu 128.8.128.8) ian -- -=Runaway Daemon=-