Musings and comments about our common interest
We have discovered that the HP Prime (G8X92AA version) was not available for ordering, while we have a healthy stock in our shop. We don’t even know if that’s been the case for several days - but it is now back on line.
The same has happened to a couple of other products (for example, the bundle with the SmartStream 410 data logger was missing too. I hope no one was deterred from their purchase by this!
Remember that the beauty of the G8X92AA vs the older NW280AA is that the first one works seamlessly with the SmartStream 410 data logger and all Fourier probes; while the older version cannot. For the rest of standalone applications, there is no difference. We make sure that your unit is a G8X92AA.
Please remember to update yours with the new firmware (version 6975, available since 16.12.2014). You can find it in the HP sites - please revert to previous blog issues to see download sites and procedure.
The stability is greatly improved, and most of the previous bugs and inconsistent behavior have disappeared. I say “most” instead of “all” for the sake of not making an absolute statement, but there have been no problems whatsoever since I made the last update.
There are other items that we all expect in the new releases, but not so much centered in solving bugs, as to in extending capabilities.
Don Shepherd is a well known calculator expert that usually posts in hpmuseum.org. This forum is populated mainly by scientific calculator users, with a couple of exceptions that also have a little place in their heart for other types of calculators. Don is one of them. In particular, Don’s interests include the HP17bII, of which the HP17bII+ is the latest version. For me, it is the best current financial calculator; and fighting with the HP19bII for the “best ever” title. And it is incredibly flexible with its solver.
The reason of this blog issue is an article from Don that I have read while looking for additional solver programs. You can find it here:
http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/articles.cgi?read=712
Some examples of what Don managed to extract from the programming capabilities of the HP17bII+:
This last one is below. A Zero result means the number is prime; any other number shows the first factor found.
fact = 0xL(j:0)+
if(mod(n:2)=0:2:sigma(i:3:sqrt(n):2:
if(mod(n:i)=0:if(g(j)=0:0xL(j:1)+i:0):0)))
I am now working with the new release of the hp Prime firmware. After a couple of hiccups installing it (due to my using an old operating system in my Parallels session in Macintosh), I finally did. Despite having made a back up of all files and programs, and all literature having warned that data would be lost, the machine still kept my programs when restarting.
Of course, I am not as experienced as other professors, so I am not pushing the device to its limits; and I could not tell a bug from a syntax error; but the machine feels more responsive, seems to scroll better, navigates better through menus, and is in general a better device. Does it feel like an iPhone? Er-no. But it is improving!
The unit that I updated is a G8X92AA, not one of the old NW280AA machines; but the updates are equally valid for both models. You don’t need to change your machine if you’re not going to make use of the Smartstream applications and devices.
The feeling is tha CAS continues to evolve and improve, with the help of Bernard Parisse. I look forward to go through more advanced maths together with my son, when the need comes (last week we had our first attempt to equation systems - a 2x2 very simple case. I don’t want the machine to solve the problems for him -Ci just want him to be able to check the results for now.)
The machine has not restarted a single time since the firmware change. I am now taking it to an extended trip instead of my 41cl. With the initial models and firmware, it crashed several times a day. Over time, it moved to once a week, and now the software seems much more stable.
I need to refer you to the HP site again. I will not keep the newest version in our site, since we cannot ensure that we have the latest software all the time; what we’ll try to guarantee is that the link to the newest firmware remains current.
For us Europeans, there are still things that can be improved. The programs are dependent on the separation character used when writing it. We in center Europe tend to use the decimal comma, and therefore the list and argument separator is the semicolon; but if the program has been written with decimal point, it won’t work and claim syntax error, even though you have been using it in the past. So let’s keep it at decimal point and stay with it. No big deal, but one has to be warned.
The problems existing in some solver apps when using number formats including thousand separators, even with spaces, have not appeared so far -or I haven’t been able to replicate them.
Every Prime user should be aware that there is a new version of firmware. The new version applies to both emulator and calculator itself. For what I can see so far, all the bugs that I knew of have been removed. And CAS features have greatly expanded. You can either download the frirmware upgrade through the update functions in the virtual calculator or the connectivity kit. alternatively, you can download it directly from here:
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/Prime/
Here you can find the log of the changes:
Date Released: 2014/12/03
Firmware Version: 2014 12 03 (6975)
Virtual Calculator Version: 2014 12 03 (6975)
Connectivity Kit: 2014 12 03 (6975)
This release of the Prime Calculator firmware and associated PC software delivers significant new features and fixes outstanding issues. This document is not a complete list of all changes, but highlights specific items. All users of the HP Prime calculator are encouraged to upgrade for the best possible experience.
Primary focus in this release was enhancements to communication and wireless.
User interface refined and improved.
Much more reliable and capable communication.
Multiple antennas supported for wireless communication.
Progress bars are now shown for individual units during transfer data transfer.
Much nicer “firmware update” window - adds support for detection of multiple units and more ways to receive prompts for updating units.
Now possible to send a single item from one unit to everyone in the class in a single step.
Improvements to screen monitoring.
Added lower/upper optional inputs in cumulative probability functions. Binomial arguments now consistently ordered.
Add ability to mix and edit CAS functions inline as part of larger programs - #cas to start a block, and #end to end it.
New variables Notes and Programs created to allow programatic access.
Geometry variables Instruction and DelInstruction provide programatic access to geometry constructions.
Much faster scrolling in large notes, programs and equations.
There is now an “Info” menu key in the memory manager. It reports free ram and available storage.
VARS menu now has a “system” group which contains general system variables.
TOff variable introduced. It is a millisecond value with minimum of 5s.
TIME was renamed to TEVAL to avoid confusion with Time variable. Also now shows up in the catalog.
SERIAL and VERSION commands introduced.
Added an implicit_diff command to simplify implicit differentiation steps.
Improved help throughout system and connected it in more places.
Japanese user interface turned on for menus.
There is now an “Info” menu key in the memory manager. It reports used ram and available storage.
I have been discussing how to help our children in number theory with the hp41cl and helped with powerful packages like Sandmath. However, no matter how much I like it, I can agree that it is not a reasonable idea to lend a 41cl to your son - even if he’s 40 already. That’s what student calculators are made for.
So I started to try to do the same things with the HP Prime. It also has the advantage of color and tactile screen, which always helps when working with children.
Here are some of the functions that were helpful in my children’s homework:
Idivis(integer): gives a list of all the divisors of an integer. Can be also applied to lists!
Idivis(24)= [1,2,3,4,6,8,12,24]
Ifactor(integer): gives a decomposition of an integer in prime numbers.
Ifactor(24)= [23*3]
Ifactors is very similar, but returns a list with the prime factors followed by their frequency. This one admits a list as argument, while the former doesn’t!
Ifactors(24)= [2,3,3,1]
Then, the typical problems they’re doing during this term involve finding the greatest common divisor and the lowest common multiple:
Gcd(24,36)= 12
Lcm(24,36)= 72
There are others related to prime numbers (shouldn’t prime numbers be the forte of the Prime calculator?): isprime(), nextprime(), prevprime(), ithprime() (which returns the nth prime below 10.000). Good enough for you children to check all their results in number theory!
Miscellaneous comments HP41CL - initialization and basic problem solving.
For all HP41CL users: travel may affect your calculator. The HP41CL circuit is quite sensitive to small loses of power, and when being hit while traveling, it may lost part of the programming.
I have used extensively two different HP41CL units. Both of them were sensitive to hits. The faults that could appear were basically two:
The unit would not recognize plugged ROMs. In this case, the solution wasn’t to plug it again, since it wouldn’t work; it was enough to re-enable the memory management using the HP41CL command MMUEN. Then you would find that everything was still where you left it.
The unit would not work well, and get stuck in a strange display. This display would not follow the same pattern always. This was a worse kind of failure, and it always implied to leave the calculator without its batteries for at least 15 minutes, plug the batteries without starting it for another 15 minutes, and then re-start it with backspace-on. You would get a “memory lost” message, and all your programming and configuration would be lost. It will work as a plain HP41CL, but none of the features you bought would be available. You need to re-initialize it. I am sorry for that!
My standard initialization procedure follows here (and this is how my customers receive their calculators):
First clear the memory management unit with the following command:
XEQ Alpha MMUCLR Alpha
Then start loading necessary modules:
Alpha YFNZ Alpha XEQ Alpha PLUG1L Alpha - loading the YFNZ version of the utilities in the lower part of port 1
Alpha PWRL Alpha XEQ Alpha PLUG1U Alpha - loading the PWRL version of the utilities in the upper part of port 1
Alpha 804040–8120 Alpha XEQ Alpha YPOKE Alpha - loading the Library #4
Then, the system is ready to receive any ROM module, including those that use the Library#4 (Basically most of the modules created by Angel Martín)
Then, I usually enter just the Advantage Pac and the latest version of Sandmath that I have in my CL - currently SM33, Sandmath 3x3.
I would like to ask the HP experts about two things, related to the HP19bII
First, who on hell designed the HP28-HP19b-HP19bII side door? I have seen many units and all, and I mean all, have cracks in the doors, if not completely broken doors. This is not like HP. HP took pride in designing quality goods, and they succeeded big time with the HP35, HP65, HP67, HP41, HP12c, HP15c.
So, how come that a calculator with such fantastic firmware (both the scientific side and the financial side), could have such a poor solution?
I think that this was one of the main reasons for taking this otherwise fantastic calculator out of the market.
However, the solution was in front of them. So in front of them that they found it! Enter the back door HP19bII. Looking alike the other models, (perhaps a little darker black in the body, compared to the brownish color of the normal ones), it is safe to use without fear. It uses 3 N-type batteries, just like the other (and the 41c, by the way).
I really think that there has been no better financial calculator. I would be tempted to say that is one of the best calculators - period. (I know that most calculator specialists woill disagree, but that's because they are bent to scientific calculators). Its current sibling, the HP17bII, lacks a full keyboard to enter complex solver functions. You can see three full lines, nearly the full stack, and also has some more mathematical functions than the 17bII. It is the ideal calculator for an engineer doing management - it will cover all of his requirements. Keyboard is excellent. Screen contrast is poor - as it was with any dot-matrix calculator of that time; but then you had three lines that allowed you to nearly see your full stack
Several more prices have been changed for the Black Friday promotion
Some other prices in the Audio area:
As preparation for this “black Friday”, we will start giving low prices for selected items during this whole week.
There are three HP41CV in perfect state at 90€, and there is an HP41CX at 120€, as well in perfect state! Please contact me on the latter, since I have not put the pictures on the web yet ( sales@thecalculatorstore.com)
You know all the craze about the HP41CL. This is the most powerful calculator standing right now - if you take into account the number of ROMs that are included. We find that most of the purchasers of that calculator are old users of hp41c’s. Apparently, theirs died, and/or they lusted for additional ROMs that they never managed to find. Now it is their opportunity: they get a faster calculator, with all the possible memory, and features that no one imagined at that time (the Sandmath series of ROMs, topping with the Sandmath 3x3, come to mind)
But if you’re not ready to DIY, or not willing to shell out 600 € (but having the guarantee of a good calculator, tested and working), you can start again with one of the above: the 3 hp41cv or the one hp41cx. Remember that this latter has the extended memory, extra functions and the embedded time module too!
This offer is exclusive to the EU countries!
Tomorrow we will include more offers!
I have just loaded in my tall keys hp41c the latest modules that I didn’t have, and I have refreshed the key assigns, that were quite old. I have made a mix of work related needs, curiosity programs and help to my children’s school chores.
Work related: most of my day job relates to financial control. It involves analysis of production investments, business plans, etc. These are often discussed in meetings, and then you need to be really fast to give a solution - an it’s quite difficult to have an open computer during the meeting, lest the colleagues are led to believe that you’re emailing while they’re discussing! So the logical choice is to use a calculator.
While you can imagine that I have all of them, my go-to calculators are the hp15c (that I have equipped with time value of money, net present value, internal return rate, percentage of total value, days between two dates and weighted averages (we sell tons of different products at different margins, so a weigthed average calculation, based on the statistical values registered, makes a lot of sense). All of this consumes around 210 steps of memory, leaving enough room to solve a 3*3 equation system (that I may have to solve together with my children)
In addition, the 15c I have in the jacket pocket, so if I have to enter in a meeting unwarned, then I’m prepared.
But if I’m prepared, then I take the hp41cl. To begin with, its user keyboard allows me to put many more programs. I have loaded the YFZN and PowerCL in lower and upper port 1; the advantage module in Port 2, and Sandmath 3x3 in module 3. I have a time module and an infrarred printer driver plugged in but not using the corresponding logical ports (I think that they use port 6 and 7, but I may be wrong)
For IRR and NPV I use my own programs instead of the many you can find in either the advantage of diverse financial pacs. As I know the location of the registers used, then I can put data in them “offline”, prior to running the program, and dispense with cumbersome data entry procedures.
I also have assigned to specific keys DATE+, DDAYS, and a very short utility but very used in project management: what calendar day is x days from now, which implies asking today’s date, and then DATE+ with the content of the X register.
I have also assigned the weighted average, and the %CH and %T keys (this later one is easy to program but I took it from the Sandmath 3x3 module)
And then, there come the ones that can be used for my children. Sandmath includes a number of interesting routines to deal with fractions. One is D>F, which turns a decimal number into a fraction. I seem to remember that which approximation it takes is based on the number of decimal places set for the screen. The function gives an alpha return with the fraction (for example, pi is converted to and shown as 333/106), while the fraction components are written to Y and X respectively.
Then I have also put on the shifted keys for the 4 arithmetic calculations F-, F+, F* and F/. These use the fractions represented by T/Z and Y/X to perform the arithmetic, and then leave the results as Y/X, as well as showing the result in the alpha register
And finally, I use the XYZAlarm to keep reminders. This is just for the sake of using it - any smartphone is better than the 41CL for this task.