OK, this is a fantasy idea, but it's an interesting one, I think, and perhaps appropriate to an 'open source' world.

The people here who make emulators for various classic calculators gave me this idea.

Why not design a new calculator first as an emulator? Make it available as a web page, perhaps, so that people can try it out.. Make suggestions on functionality, key layout, etc.

I'm not suggesting 'design by committee' but rather feedback by interested and thoughtful potential users.

The real fantasy is that a day might come when it could actually be made and there might even be enough preorders to pay to have it made.

By the time it is ready to be made, if the project is approached properly, the software at least should be debugged.

As for the hardware... Has anyone ever heard of an 'open hardware' project? If anyone 'stole' the design and built it to sell, it would save us the trouble, right?

Such a project would not produce the 'next big thing' as far as I can see, but it could produce a product(s) that a certain customer base would buy, and the size of that customer base would be fairly well known by the time by the time a decision was made to build.

Steve.

"Why not design a new calculator first as an emulator? Make it available as a web page, perhaps, so that people can try it out.. Make suggestions on functionality, key layout, etc"

This could also be read as www.openrpn.org We (well mainly others) but an only community is currently working on just this. An open source, open hardware calculator. Check it out.

-Ben
12345

Fantasy granted. Check out the OpenRPN project at: http://www.openrpn.org

I manage the project with a close friend, which really speeds up the open development process. It's quite similar to what you have described. When complete it will feature a flashable ROM, space for an expansion board, USB support, graphical LCD, *fix programming (our own adaptation of RPL), custom molded keytops, tactile keys, and an excessively durable case. On top of that fully functional java simulators will be made available of each model to demonstrate its' capabilities before you buy it.

Very soon we will be registering a business to facilitate production. As soon as we have a few prototypes we will begin soliciting for grants and investors, as well as convincing engineering/science professors to adopt them as recommended/required equipment.

Please stop by and check us out, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

hehe...

If my wishes are granted so easily, then I'd better extend my fantasies into other areas! ;)

Steve.

I made a similar proposal here back in January, but cannot find the original thread. Take a look at
home.comcast.net/~john.shelton1/ICP/ICP_1.0.pdf

(Large acrobat file)

I hope you find it interesting.

Interesting.

Are you advancing in this direction?

Did you get much feedback?

Steve.

I tried to register as a member on openrpn, but I didn't get the email with the password.

Steve.

This has happened a few times in the past. Send me a message from the e-mail address you registered with and include your username. I'll reset your password and we'll get you up and running.

Hugh.Evans@openrpn.org

Hugh Evans
OpenRPN Project Manager

There will be a problem: The high number of suggestions will drive to an almost personal design and of course, to a high nonsense final price for the product. If not, the customer will never be satisfied (As a whole).

José Ingineros(Philosopher) said: "Gather 1000 genius' mind in a discussion table and you will get a conclusion of one idiot".

The decision task must be done under certain factor of unknown. So there will be no decision or no customer satisfaction, taking account that all of us think in a different way along the same thing.

And finally, I may be wrong.

Cheers
Marx Pio

Quote:

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José Ingineros(Philosopher) said: "Gather 1000 genius' mind in a discussion table and you will get a conclusion of one idiot".

And finally, I may be wrong.

Cheers Marx Pio

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I think you and José are right. 'open design' is a bad idea :)

My real interest in that idea was to have online communities, such as this one, centred around hardware/software that has public specifications and schematics, parts lists, etc., etc.

Steve.

nt