Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!csustan!joshua
From: joshua@csustan.csustan.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: A mighty thanks to all!
Message-ID: <1990Oct27.195426.10069@csustan.csustan.edu>
Date: 27 Oct 90 19:54:26 GMT
Sender: joshua@csustan.csustan.edu (Joshua Delahunty)
Organization: CSU Stanislaus
Lines: 52


	Geeezus!  I just had the scare of my life!  I'd downloaded a binary
	object into my rev E. HP 48SX, and it was meant for an 'A' machine.
	(I.e. it loaded into a string, and "HPHP48-A..." started out the
	string -- it seems that the calc will only recognize binary progs 
	saved from the save rev of calculator -- Why is this?)  Anyway,
	I decided to try putting one of the objects (That looked like
	{ External External... } onto the command line.  My machine's 
	screen went blank, and would beep each time I pressed a key.  Even
	the "grand reset" of ON-A-F wouldn't do anything.  Fine, I think.
	I'll just cut off it's juice, and get things back to normal.

	I replaced the batteries with new ones, and NOTHING happened.  Now
	it wouldn't beep, it wouldn't turn on.  No Self Tests worked.  This,
	according to the manual, means it needs service.  Fine, I thought.
	I'll let it REALLY drain, and see where I'm at.  I let this sucker
	sit here for a good 5 or 10 minutes with no batteries (pressing
	ON a time or two for good measure), and then replaced the original
	batteries (I've only had it two weeks -- they should still be good).
	It STILL wouldn't turn on!  Just as I was getting ready to pack it
	up to send it off, I remembered the mysterious hidden button under
	the foot, that noone is sure of.  I went ahead and tried it.  My
	machine is now back to working order, and I owe it to all of you
	on c.s.h!  Man, do I feel better now.

	Interestingly enough, even after having sat here for a good period
	of time with no juice, the calculator still recovered about half of
	what had been in it.  Probably not enought that it'd be dependable,
	but pretty neat just the same.  Perhaps rechargables would be workable
	in it?

	Three things:

	o I think it's REALLY neat of HP to put feet on this baby that
	  don't require adhesive.  "The wave of the future," indeed.
	  Right down to space-age rubber feet.

	o Anybody know the format of HP48 binary files?  It seems to stick
	  "HPHP48-x" (where x is the version # of the calc), plus 4 or 5
	  bytes at the start, and then perhaps some bytes at the end.  Is 
	  there any possibility of writing a conversion program?  Or perhaps
	  something really did change enough between revisions so that the
	  binary files would be invalid?

	o [On an unrelated note:]  Anybody get Tetris for the 48 converted
	  to assembler yet?  The RPL version is very impressive looking, and
	  it's fun to play while on the phone with unwanted callers :-), but
	  it just screams "ultimate potential."  Not that I bought my 48 to
	  use as a Gameboy replacement -- it's just neat what can be done
	  (and FUN too!)

						-- Joshua