[WP34s] a) Input position and b) units and c) reminder plate



#4

I just received Eric's fabulous overlays and thus started playing again with the WP34s, after having been distracted by the 15c LE. I apologize for that... ;)

Now with the overlays it's even better than it was already! Thank you again! I still came across two things that I wanted to mention:

a) Is there a reason why the input is on the left side of the display while the result is shown on the right side? I find that a bit odd and would prefer it to be in the same position, without a preference for left or right.

b) Scrolling through the constants catalog I found myself wishing to see the corresponding unit(s) in the upper display alongside the constants name. That would be a big help for my elderly brain. But I reckon it could be a question of no more RAM left over what prevents them to be squeezed in?!?

c) Coming from the 15c I could imagine a nice backplate with reminders on it in the style of Eric's overlay. Like the location of the statistical registers and such.


Edited: 11 Oct 2011, 10:51 a.m.


#5

Quote:
a) Is there a reason why the input is on the left side of the display while the result is shown on the right side? I find that a bit odd and would prefer it to be in the same position, without a preference for left or right.

Interesting question. The Classics, Voyagers, and Pioneers do both on the left. The 48's have input on the left, results on the right. These are the only types I own.

What does the unmodified 30b do?


#6

Input and display on left.

#7

Quote:
a) Is there a reason why the input is on the left side of the display while the result is shown on the right side? I find that a bit odd and would prefer it to be in the same position, without a preference for left or right.

This is another one that bounced back and forth a few times :-)
I don't remember all the reasoning. However, display on the right so you see the exponent and input on the left to distinguish it easily come to mind immediately.


- Pauli


#8

Quote:


This is another one that bounced back and forth a few times :-)


I'm sorry, it seems I have not read the forum too thoroughly...

Quote:

However, display on the right so you see the exponent and input on the left to distinguish it easily come to mind immediately.


I don't find it hard to distinguish between mantissa and exponent, if that's what you meant. Their respective sizes make that one easy.

I understand however that there are reasons for both ways. Is it possible (and easy enough to implement) to have a switch, say, in the MODE menu?


#9

It would be possible of course.

It would use a small amount of code space (I'm not sure how much actually) and it would use our last bit of RAM. I find it difficult to believe that there isn't a better use for this last lonely bit.

All that said, I'm not going to code it :-)


- Pauli


#10

Quote:
All that said, I'm not going to code it :-)



You're the king and can leave the input on the 'wrong' side as you wish - you drive on the wrong side of the road as well down under. ;-)

BTW, what I always wanted to ask an Australian: When you describe the course of the sun during the day in a hand gesture - what do you do? While I use my right hand and describe an ascending and descending semi circle from left to right, am I right to assume that you would do the opposite?


#11

Quote:
BTW, what I always wanted to ask an Australian: When you describe the course of the sun during the day in a hand gesture - what do you do? While I use my right hand and describe an ascending and descending semi circle from left to right, am I right to assume that you would do the opposite?

I don't use this gesture myself.

The sun still rises in the East and sets in the West. If I was looking Northish from here, I'd do it in reverse -- right to left. Not sure which hand I'd use for it but that isn't really relevant.

We're not too far from the Tropic of Capricorn, North of which the sun is can be either North or South of you depending on the time of year. How's that for added confusion. For example, when we lived in Townsville some fifteen years ago, both the North and South sides of our house received full direct sunlight at different times of the year.


- Pauli


#12

Thanks for this amazing insight. This house you had must have been every realtor's dream! ;) Too bad that every house in town was just the same...


#13

Trust me, having sun on all four sides of your house when you in the heart of the tropics isn't a desirable selling point. Being well shadowed and breezy is far more enjoyable.

- Pauli

#14

Funny :-) The first time I was in Australia the moon confused me, because ascending/descending was swapped until I realized I'm upside-down. Here in Switzerland you learn:

a: "Abnehmend" - means descending, so if you draw an "a" the first stroke resembles the shape of a descending moon, like "("

z: "Zunehmend" - means ascending, so if you draw an "z" the first stroke resembles the shape of an ascending moon, like ")"

I learned this by heart, so I had some confusing moments when it didn't work down-under :-)


#15

Ah, yes - I also learned this rule of the moon resembling an handwritten A or Z from my grandfather. But there's another one that works very well especially in Australia. ;-) The Romans, living on the northern hemisphere, used to say luna mentitur - the moon lies. Simply because the descending moon looks like a C as in crescens, while the ascending moon resembles a D like in decrescens. However, while it's just the other way round north of the equator, this is exactly the way it is on the southern hemisphere, so the C/D rule works fine there. ;-)

Dieter


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