hp 35s emulator

[Michele Signorini]

I was looking for disassemblying instructions of the hp35s (google: open hp 35s) and I found this link:

http://www.downloadatoz.com/miscellaneous_directory/hp-35s-scientific-calculator-software/

Unfortunately the Free Download [evaluation] link is not working...

Is this the Calculator Emulator Software for Educators offered by HP?

[Frank Boehm (Germany)]

reading helps 8)
"This product doesn't provide a free demo/trial version download link or the download links are broken."

[Tim Wessman]

It is a more recent version than what has been given out to educators exclusively in the past. This is a commercialized version. There are the 12C and 12CP up as well.

TW

[Earl Kubaskie]

So is this REALLY available to the general public?

I can't find anyplace on HP's site to buy it - but the linked website lists HP as the publisher?

I'd certainly expect a legit emulator to show up there, here, or at least be a pretty easy search on Google!

[Tim Wessman]

It is legit. I know because I made the screenshots. I actually had to redo them all because I forgot about the window transparency and there was a slightly fuzzy firefox logo showing in all of the title bars. :-)

As to why it isn't on the HP site yet. . .red tape can take a while to cut. Same reason the ROM updates that were ready a month ago aren't up yet.

Tim Wessman

[Pal G.]

Speaking of ROMs, does anyone know if the hp 35s ROM running in the simulator is the same as we all have in our machines? Is there key sequence that reveals revision?

I wonder if HP has thought about using the proceeds from simulator sales to pay a software engineer to update the hp 35s ROM.

[Eric Smith]

Most likely it is compiled to native x86 code from mostly the same source code that is used for the actual calculator. But not the same actual executable, if that's the question.

However, I don't have it, so I could be wrong.

[Pal G.]

I see. I was thinking fundamentally the hp 35s and the simulator have a "rom.bin" inside, kinda like all the emulators we've used over the years, including yours.

But instead, if I'm correct, HP has several well preserved .c or .asm files, with a bunch of routines that haven't been looked at in a while, that were a long time ago written and compiled for the hp 41 Math Pac, then compiled for the hp 32s/ii, then the hp 33, and now finally the hp 35s, and the simulator.

I don't know enough about what's going on under the hood. I am just trying to figure out how easy/difficult it is to fix current calculator bugs, regardless of economic decisions. In essence, could/does a bug free version of the hp 35s exist, even if HP is not interested in updating manufactured units, and would work in the simulator? Or is fixing the legacy code itself too monumental a task?

[Eric Smith]

At past HHC conferences, Cyrille has explained that relatively recent HP calculator models such as the 33s, 35s, 20b, and 12c Platinum are compiled from C source code that is of recent origin. While some of the source code for older Saturn-based calculators was undoubtedly used as a reference (e.g., for the "Napier" floating point library, and the TVM algorithms), none of the original code was directly usable for the new calculators.

[Earl Kubaskie]

I see it available on other shareware sites today. Think I'll give it a shot...

I like emulators, too. Especially since the standard Windoze calc is so awful.

[Quan]

Quote:

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It is a more recent version than what has been given out to educators exclusively in the past. This is a commercialized version. There are the 12C and 12CP up as well.

TW

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Do you know what the differences are between this commercial version and the educational version? Does it mean the ROM has been updated?

On a side note, would it be to HP benefit to release their emulators free of charge so more users can give feedback on how to improve them before the next product update, given the fact there aren't enough people in their calculator department to do quality control on usability?

Just wonder.

[Namir]

I think HP is concerned that people with emulators will not buy the physical calculators. After all with the emulator, you can save data to your PC and load it back. Try that with the physical calculator!

Namir

[Earl Kubaskie]

I think HP is concerned with making a buck. Overall, I'd bet emulator sales would actually INCREASE physical unit sales. And vice versa.

[George Bailey (Bedford Falls)]

Quote:

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I think HP is concerned that people with emulators will not buy the physical calculators. After all with the emulator, you can save data to your PC and load it back. Try that with the physical calculator!

Namir

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Who in the world - apart from us nerds on this forum - would use a calculator emulator instead of a spread sheet or a dedicated application? ;-) I guess most people who use calculators have a need to use it away from their PC: at the client's home, in the field, on the plane.
And even nerds do buy the real thing: why else would prices of 15c, 42s etc. be so high? I have seen plenty of photos of calculator collections on this forum. But not a single photo of a PC Desktop showcasing the guy's emulator collection! ;-)

[Dave]

Au contraire. Christoph has posted this here before.

[George Bailey (Bedford Falls)]

Quote:

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Au contraire. Christoph has posted this here before.

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I humbly admit that I did not know that, nor did I think it possible. ;-)

Edited: 9 June 2009, 3:32 a.m.