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Sometimes, really obvious observations take a long while to happen. This is certainly true with myself and this tidbit that I have only just realised.
If you discount anything from the HP48 onwards and anything from any of the single-line calculator series, there is one particular feature unique to the Voyager series. What is it? (I'm not thinking of the landscape format).
Please don't lose any sleep over this one. If you hadn't realised it and work it out, you might think to yourself, "Oh yes, so it is!" in a slightly amused way. On the other hand, if you know what I am talking about before you've even read this far, just take a deep breath whilst the slow amongst us catch up!
Mark
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The vertical "enter" button?
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They turn off with the push of one button.
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discount ... anything from any of the single-line calculator series
I'm not quite sure what is meant by that, but the HP-41 and HP-71B could be considered "single-line series".
The HP-41 has an ON/OFF button that is not shared with CLEAR (turn off in one keystroke),
The HP-71B -- which resembles an HP-15C on steroids -- also has a vertical key that serves as "ENTER", called "END LINE".
-- KS
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Voyagers are on their second set of batteries?
Some might even still be on their first set.
I don't understand the "single-line" comment either.
- Pauli
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I think "single line" meant a single line of characters in the display.
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I also think it's the long life of the batteries,or the overall size:
The voyager series is the most pocketable of the real HP calcs.
ON/OFF with a single key is not a unique feature of the Voyers series,
since the HP-41 has it, too, and even the older HP's with
a mechanical slider switch have it - the single ON/OFF switch.
As was already noted, landscape and vertical ENTER key are in the HP-71B, too.
Edited: 14 Aug 2009, 3:27 a.m.
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ON/OFF with a single key is not a unique feature of the Voyers series,
since the HP-41 has it, too, and even the older HP's with
a mechanical slider switch have it - the single ON/OFF switch.
Plus all of the financial clamshell models!
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The way the user changes the radix point?
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one particular feature unique to the Voyager series.
Easy. The most beautiful man(person)-made objects of all time. :-)
Edited: 14 Aug 2009, 12:05 a.m.
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That would be a Les Paul... sorry...
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... man(person)-made ...
Oooh, political correctness :-?
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Easy. The most beautiful man(person)-made objects of all time. :-)
Egan, these things are personal of course :) I think the Voyager series is cute and idiosyncratic but I wouldn't really consider it beautiful. For a landscape calculator that surpass the Voyagers, I would recommend you pick up a Sharp EL5100. It isn't until you actually handle one and use it that you realise how incredibly thin it is and the delicate feel of those super-soft-click buttons. Svelte is one word that suits the EL5100! If I can embed a photo in a post, I'll try and upload an image showing the thickness of an EL5100 compared to a Voyager.
Mark
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Using "P/R" for mode switching?
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No one has got it yet which surprises me. Maybe this isn't such a well known factoid as I thought?
The single-line comment means any series based on a single calculator such as the HP01, HP71, HP41, HP94 and so on.
Mark
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A unique feature of the Voyager series is the form factor. The ratio of the length to the width closely approximates the 'magical' number phi, or the Golden Ratio which is 1.618.... Of course, the actual Voyager length/width ratio falls a little short of this number as I eye-ball the measurement in cm with a ruler, but it's close... The width dimension given on this website seems a little low.
So the uniqueness is the almost perfect shape!
Jeff Kearns
Edited: 14 Aug 2009, 5:55 a.m.
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Interesting suggestion Jeff. I'll need to examine why there is this "Golden Ratio" to find out what it is about. My own measurements of a Voyager give a ratio of 1.6125 and for a Pioneer which is the closest I could think of, the ratio is 1.85.
Mark
Quote:
A unique feature of the Voyager series is the form factor. The ratio of the length to the width closely approximates the 'magical' number phi, or the Golden Ratio which is 1.618.... Of course, the actual Voyager length/width ratio falls a little short of this number as I eye-ball the measurement in cm with a ruler, but it's close... The width dimension given on this website seems a little low.
So the uniqueness is the almost perfect shape!
Jeff Kearns
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It has the model no. as part of the HP logo?
The first series in which every model is programmable?
Just guesses as I do not (and never have) owned a voyager.
Bart
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The first series in which every model is programmable?
Bart
Well done Bart! That was what I suddenly realised last night. Also, it wasn't just that it was the first series where every single model across the range is programmable, it was also the only series HP ever produced that had this distinction.
Now, some of you will be saying, what about the 41 series or the 48 series? That is why I added the condition to ignore series based on a single calculator. The 41 and 48 series (and 75 and 94) are just revisions of the same basic calculator. The Voyager series kept programmability across 5 separate models and that was and remains unique.
Hope it was worth the brain power everyone!
Mark
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Also, it wasn't just that it was the first series where every single model across the range is programmable, it was also the only series HP ever produced that had this distinction.
Durn! I shoulda got that one, because I've commented on Voyager programmability issues in the past.
It should be noted that there are four basic paradigms of RPN programmability -- two of which are represented in the Voyager line.
Examples
Type A: HP-41, HP-42S
Type B: HP-32S, HP-32SII, HP-33s, HP-35s
Type C: HP-67, HP-34C, HP-11C, HP-15C, HP-16C
Type D: HP-55, HP-33E/C, HP-38E/C, HP-10C, HP-12C
The distinction of "first all-programmable series" may be largely due to the Voyagers being the first line with Continuous Memory across the board.
The HP-12C and predecessor HP-38E/C are the only business models with RPN keystroke programmability. Later business models were based on AOS. Of those, the cheaper ones were nonprogrammable (programming was not very popular with business types anyway); the better ones had the advanced equation solver. Earlier business models used LED displays, and only the HP-38C had Continuous Memory.
The "Type C" programmability of the HP-15C (as well as the HP-34C) was essential, due to the need to define user functions for SOLVE and INTEG. This kind of programmability was very useful in the HP-16C for nonstandard data conversions, but was mainly a nicety in the HP-11C.
The "Type D" programming paradigm of the HP-10C and HP-12C was rather substandard, lacking insert/delete editing. I've stated before that the HP-10C ought to have been a non-programmable with more built-in mathematical functions. That would have made it more practical, provided greater separation from the HP-11C and HP-15C, and met the criterion of non-progammability for those users who required that.
-- KS
(Corrected per Walter's input)
Edited: 16 Aug 2009, 12:06 a.m. after one or more responses were posted
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The HP-12C is the only business model with RPN keystroke programmability.
Pardon, AFAIK the HP-38C had this feature already 8)
Walter
Edit: Posting purged since Karl settled one topic.
Edited: 19 Aug 2009, 12:29 a.m. after one or more responses were posted
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Karl,
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Programming is not very practical without Continuous Memory -- without it, a card reader was needed. (This was probably the impetus for turning the HP-33E into the HP-33C.)
This was probably the impetus for turning the HP-25 into the HP-25C earlier already. The 33 was just the 25 in Spice.
Walter
Edit: Posting purged since Karl settled one topic.
Edited: 19 Aug 2009, 12:27 a.m. after one or more responses were posted
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Note the reduction in price difference between a non-CM model (25 or 33) and its corresponding CM model.
IIRC, at the time the 25C appeared it was the first scientific using CMOS. So some extra dollars were for that revolutionary new feature. Justified or not, the customer was willing to pay them. As Dave wrote, this feature became standard pretty fast, so no more extra margin with the 33C but, as you wrote, presumably filling a niche with the 33E. Remember 20 US$ were a significant amount then.
Walter
Edit: Posting purged since Karl settled one topic.
Edited: 19 Aug 2009, 12:28 a.m. after one or more responses were posted
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