33s Modifications???
#1

What is the possibility that HP is delaying the release of the 33s so that they can change the display to correct the microscopic decimal point, that they are changing to keyboard back to a non-chevron layout and/or that they're making other small modifications as suggested by the HP community as a result of beta testing?

How long would it actually take to make these kinds of changes from start to finish and get a calculator off the production line, shipped across the ocean, and into the stores? Maybe I'm just dreaming....

#2

I really doubt it!!!!

#3

Quote:
What is the possibility that HP is delaying the release of the 33s so that they can change the display to correct the microscopic decimal point, that they are changing to keyboard back to a non-chevron layout and/or that they're making other small modifications as suggested by the HP community as a result of beta testing?

The possibility exists. The _probability_, however, is close to zero. HP no longer designs the calculators sold under its name. Besides, I'm pretty sure that there is no one left at HP who gives a damn. 8^(

-Ernie

#4

I suspect that the ROM bugs that have been found will be fixed first. Increasing the size of the decimal point at some future date is a possibility. I expect the chevron keyboard layout is here to stay.

Look at the collector potential. The early "Walmart" 33S with ROM bugs and small decimal point will be very rare. The 33S with the small decimal point will be somewhat rare.

#5

Get over it, the 33S is a nice calculator.

#6

I am guessing that they will fix the ROM (most likely because that would be simple to do) and they might, if they do anything with the body, make the screen less "glarey". This could probably be achieved without too much trouble and would fix some of the issues with the decimal/comma.

The keyboard is probably here to stay, and that's okay by me (not my first choice for keyboard, but it is good)

-Ben

#7

Thanks for telling it like it is, Fred.

The 33s IS a nice calculator (and don't tell anyone, but I'm actually starting to LIKE the chevron keyboard).

Take care.

Wayne.

#8

Quote:
Get over it, the 33S is a nice calculator.

For you, maybe. For some of us, it is not at all "nice." If you don't like that, perhaps you need to "Get over it."

#9

Don't worry Fred.

Suppose HP came out out with a HP15c with a selectable RPN or RPL mode, a keyboard that rea your mind and adjusted itself the way your wanted, a terabyte of memory and a 5 gigahertz CPU. Also it would have all the math functionality of Mathematica, but still be easy to use. It would also run off a single cell for 50 years and be available in your choice of colors / styles.

If HP came out with such a calculator, a few people here would still complain about mindless things and say they prefer ugly brown things. Its called the *Museum* of HP calculators for a reason.

123 to delete

Edited: 30 Mar 2004, 7:49 a.m.

#10

Me too i find the calclator is good. At first i dislike the keyboard and look, but now i'm use to it and find it more ergonomic than my 32S. The look is not so bad too; a LOT of coworkers that see it said that this is the beautiful HP calculator they ever saw... Well i'm not goint this far but it looks great finally... I think the majority of pepole here like this calculator too, even those who has negative comments on it before having one in hands.

Edited: 30 Mar 2004, 7:46 a.m.

#11

They REALLY said it was the most beautiful HP they ever saw???

#12

Quote:
Its called the *Museum* of HP calculators for a reason.

Exactly!

#13

My guess Frederic works for Kinpo ... so it's natural that a LOT of his coworkers to find the HP33s soooo nice .... Hope you are a sport Frederic .. I am just kidding!

#14

Do you really think that a calculator encased in black nerd-material is prettier? Maybe classier, but certainly not prettier. Of course, beauty is subjective.

Edited: 30 Mar 2004, 5:11 p.m.

#15

Quote:
Do you really think that a calculator encased in black nerd-material is prettier?

I'm not sure "pretty" is a description I'd want to apply to a calculator. "Elegant," "sleek," "classic" -- like a black tuxedo or a basic black evening gown -- that's more what I have in mind. Remember the Monolith from "2001: A Space Odyssey"? Massive, black and perfectly rectangular, with sharp edges and corners -- now that was a classic design! So I suppose I should add "imposing," "impressive" and "intimidating" to my list of adjectives for describing the perfect calculator.

HP seems to trying to get people to react to their new models by saying, "Awww, isn't it cute?" I'd prefer a reaction more like, "Wow! I'll bet you need a PhD just to switch that thing on! Nobody but a real science-and-math nerd would ever be interested in something like that."

#16

No, i'm not working for kinpo, but a lot of coworkers are women, perhaps HP did a model for them... For me the 12C have the best look a calculator can have, perhaps that's why it is still in production and even mor popular than the 12C silver at about the same price; The look fits with businessman pocket! And for scientists, wht is the best looking fit? i'm not sure, probably red LED model like a HP-34C, have any idea?

:-)

#17

Perhaps the best way to fix decimal point problem would be with ROM changes, rather than a new LCD.

Simply use one digit position for a decimal point, with a big fat four-pixel point (or six-pixel comma) in the bottom middle of the character matrix. (How unmistakably visible is the decimal point on my HP-97!)

And it doesn't look like there'd have to be many updates to the documentation -- the decimal points in the simulated displays there look much clearer than the real thing!

Edited: 30 Mar 2004, 8:53 p.m.

#18

I think that the 33S looks like my wife's Nokia cell phone:

http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/1,1201,hm:title,00.html

John

#19

I think that's the point! What looks garish and silly to some of us looks stylish and approachable to others. (And, needless to say, they're marketing to those "others".)

My first flash upon seeing the 33s was the Pontiac Aztek.

#20

Suppose HP's original calculator models are all HP33S like, then suddenly, a new model comes out that looks like HP32s/42s, I'm sure at least some of the people will say something like "Woo, it's such an ugly, un-stylish, and silly calculator".

My first calculator is a Casio calculator, and it looks thin, shiny, beautiful, small, but with a lot of buttons (at that time, I thought more buttons mean more powerful). And then my classmate got a HP22s. Do you know what I thought? "Oh, how ugly it is!" Then I got a chance to play around with the calculator. I was impressed by its functions, and its positive key-touching feels. I became to think that afterall the calculator was not so ugly. Now, I cannot live without an RPN HP calculator, and I think HP calculators are beautiful.

So the conclusion: why people think that old HP calculators are beautiful? It is because the old ones are SO good that we fall in love with them, and then we WOULD think they are the most beautiful ones in the world, objectively.

Btw, I never fall in love with Texas calculators, and I think they all look ugly.

#21

The Pontiac Aztek? Come on., Paul, the 33S isn't THAT ugly.

Take care.

Wayne

#22

Quote:
So the conclusion: why people think that old HP calculators are beautiful? It is because the old ones are SO good that we fall in love with them, and then we WOULD think they are the most
beautiful ones in the world, objectively.

Perhaps that's why some people think they're beautiful, but that's not my reason. I love the looks of models like the HP-41 because they would fit right in with equipment like this:

     http://www.apolloexplorer.co.uk/photo/html/as11/10075282.htm

http://www.apolloexplorer.co.uk/photo/html/gt7/10074151.htm

http://www.apolloexplorer.co.uk/photo/html/as8/10074953.htm

http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/luceneweb/fullimage.jsp?photoId=S83-34270

HP is trying to make their products look "friendly" and non-threatening to the average non-technical person, and that's what I dislike so much about them.

#23

I have one of those "Walmarters".

What bugs?

#24

Quote:
HP is trying to make their products look "friendly" and non-threatening to the average non-technical person,

They're failing. The HP 33S is the most threatening-looking calculator I've ever seen. The awkward angles of the keys are very disconcerting, and somehow bring to mind the Cthulu mythos.

#25

Wayne --

Thanks much for the NASA mission pictures. Several things I noticed:

1. The rotary telephone dial on several of the consoles --even two years or more after the touch-tone phone was invented.

2. The UK web site, from which your first three pix came, gave dates of photos and had no &^*%# big banner image to download -- unlike NASA's site.

#26

Karl,

The picture from the NASA site was taken 1983-06-18. Here's a link to a smaller version of the picture with a lot more information about it:

http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/luceneweb/caption_direct.jsp?photoId=S83-34270

I'm afraid it still has the big annoying banner, though.

#27

http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/archv014.cgi?read=53074


http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/archv014.cgi?read=53312

#28

You can see several pictures of HP calculators in orbit. Go to the web page:

http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/luceneweb/search.jsp

In the "NASA Photo ID Search" block put "STS51F-17-011" to see an HP-41.

In the "NASA Photo ID Search" block put "STS052-25-027" to see an HP-48 (the other fellow is holding an ancient woodworking adze, for some odd reason).


Matt



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