On an HP-35S if you enter a number the 1000-th separator is not shown, after you pressed ENTER the 1000-th separator is shown in the 2nd line but still not on the first. Other HP calculators show those separators during the entry of the number already. Is it possible to change this on the HP-35S too? (A colleague asked me and I have no time to RTFM.)

TIA.....Mike

Hi Mike, I have got an HP-35s and during the enter of a number the 1000-th separator is not shown. You cannot change it.

Once you press ENTER the separators are shown in both lines. In this case, you can disable the separators or you can choose a dot or a comma, whatever you want.

For example, I have a dot as separator and decimal places fixed to 3:

First with 0 in x and y registers:

  0,000

  0,000

I type 1234567:

  0,000

  1234567   //the separators are not shown

I press ENTER:

  1.234.567,000

  1.234.567,000

Edited: 22 June 2010, 1:02 p.m.

This ability went away with the RPL graphing calculators, because it was possible to enter a value with a comma as a valid value. Tough to know what is in the display when 123,456 might be 123456 or a complex number of 123 and 456, for example.

Most calculators since the RPL models probably use the RPL command-line approach for accepting inputs and don't allow the display of commas until after the line has been entered.

Been this way for 10+ years now, for what it's worth.

TNX 4 this explanation, sounds reasonable.

Ciao.....Mike

Maybe your friend may have the calculator in ALG mode.

I'm set for showing 4 decimal places and ALG mode and when I key in
1 0 0 0 <ENTER>

The display looks like:

------------------

1000

        1,000.0000

------------------

Ergo, the easy answer is to use the much more efficient RPN mode.
%^)

Edited: 22 June 2010, 2:16 p.m.

That's not the case on the 20b/30b, they insert/remove as you enter/edit the number. This is true regardless of the mode (Chain, Algebraic, or RPN/RPL).

Hehe! That's what I try to tell him since 1945. But tonite I had a look on my HP-35S which _is_ in RPN mode. Alas it is almost the same, the number you enter is shown in the bottom line without 1000th separator(s). It (they) show up after you pressed ENTER.

Ciao.....Mike