42s ramblings and direction

[Byron]

 

Back in the day, my first calculator was a 48sx... a great calc, I used it for a couple of years.  But I found that it was really overkill for what I used a calculator for.  I really just needed a good hand held number cruncher.  I put numbers in,  I get numbers out!  Other types of math analysis I'll leave to more suited software. I bought the 42s, sold my 48 and never looked back.

However, I did miss a couple of things. for one the infinite stack.  I got along fine with the 4-stack, but I prefer a full stack.  of course many people like the utility of the traditional 4 stack, and it's easy enough to make this optional.

As it stands, I think someone who is familiar with using the 42s will be pretty comfortable with the iPhone 42s.  The conversion menu change is probably the largest change I've made that is forced upon a user.  But it is also a pretty major addition.

Free42 already comes with some deviations from the original calc, such as 25 digit internal precision as appose to 12 digits.   A welcomed enhancement, but in some ways this changes the character of the calculator.  There is a certain elegance to "you see what you get" in the original 12 digit display.  (BTW, I plan to change SHOW so that it displays all 25 digits)

Serious behavioral changes are switchable with options.  but at the same time I don't want to have a bunch of obscure switches. I have considered having more of a old/new switch, but my time is limited, I work on this mainly for fun... programming in these dualities is time consuming, bug prone and not fun.  Also, I think many people would want Feature A on, but feature B off, which lends itself to many obscure options again.

Free42 is an excellent piece of software that is mature, and probably damn near bugless at this point, and it's an amazingly faithful recreation of the 42s.  For those who want THE 42s, Free42 fits the bill.

I don't plan on making radical changes to the 42s, but I do take license in trying to add functionality.  I have no wish to make a 48,49 or 50. But I do think that mobile devices are an excellent platform for a calculator, and there are some interesting possibilities (I wish I had more time :)).  In the next version or so I'll probably change the name to 42x.

Hi Byron,
Please, please, remember, this is a 42s, not a 50g ! ;)
This double virtual keyboard souds like a good idea; but I really would like all the extensions to be optional, and that the user can still go back to the original 42s at any point; so as long as it is optional, it is fine :) That's why I really would like the convert menu to revert back to the original, if you can... 
I will wait for the Android version then :) Thomas's version, although without any extension, is already quite good.
Thanks and cheers,
Vincent

2012/4/12 Byron Foster

Yea, I'd like to...  In version 3.3 I'm going to implement assignable keys for the top two rows, including shift functions. I think this is an obvious feature and a  clear advantage for a virtual keyboard. I'm surprised more mobile calcs don't do it.  I also plan to make an iPad version.  After that I'm going to look into an Android port.  But don't expect much till the Fall. 

On Apr 11, 2012, at 15:01 , Vincent wrote:

One more thing, you shoud really port it over to Android !!!

[tomlut]

Byron, the 42s has been my calculator of choice since it was released.
I had a go of one of the newer graphical HPs and found it to be
overkill as you did but also the response to key presses was far too
slow for my liking.

Seeing the 42s app was one of the deciding factors in purchasing an
iPhone (for me).

I think you have found an excellent balance between original
functionality and added improvements.

About the only thing I would like to see I have mentioned before
(using the iPad screen real-estate to show the print out side by side
with the calculator).

All in all I am very happy with this app and thank you for your time
developing it.

Regards,

Tom.

[Byron]

On Friday, April 13, 2012 10:34:59 PM UTC-7, tomlut wrote:

I think you have found an excellent balance between original
functionality and added improvements.

Thanks!

 

About the only thing I would like to see I have mentioned before
(using the iPad screen real-estate to show the print out side by side
with the calculator).

Yes, that was the plan. and Also, now that I have a full screen program display, to be able to have the full screen program listing side by side also.  I was going to make the printer view and program view switchable.  It would be cool as you stepped through a program to see it's current location in the full program listing view.