Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!kunivv1!ge
From: ge@kunivv1.sci.kun.nl (Ge' Weijers)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: HP-48SX: first impressions
Message-ID: <1157@kunivv1.sci.kun.nl>
Date: 8 Mar 90 10:28:27 GMT
References: <6750@columbia.edu>
Organization: University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Lines: 35

ji@close.cs.columbia.edu (John Ioannidis) writes:

>* The display contrast is poor. One should be allowed to change both
>the intensity and the contrast, not some combined function thereof.
>It's not very visible in subdued lighting, but I guess I'll get used
>to it. 

So the combination of the ON key and one of the add/subtract keys is gone?

>* It feels too flimsy. I can flex the case by about four degrees
>without fear of cracking it. There is no way I would throw it accross
>the room (the way people threw around 25's) and not care if it hits a
>brick wall at 60mph!

Flexible things are usually the hardest to damage. Perhaps the 'flimsyness'
was designed in. I'd worry if the machine had an inflexible feel to it.

>And a couple of minor gripes:

>* There is virtually no documentation on the serial port hardware. I'd
>hate to have to shell out an extra $60 for a cable that I can make
>myself. 

Is it a standard plug? Perhaps the interface kit has to generate a negative
voltage. It might have a MAX232 chip hidden somewhere (a MAX232 is a serial
port line driver which generates the voltages needed on chip. Is there someone
with a '48 out there who can shed a light? I don't own a PC or Mac, but I'd
like to interface the thing anyway (after I get one, of course).

Ge' Weijers

Ge' Weijers                                    Internet/UUCP: ge@cs.kun.nl
Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science,   (uunet.uu.net!cs.kun.nl!ge)
University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1         
6525 ED Nijmegen, the Netherlands              tel. +3180612483 (UTC-2)