A peculiarity of the original HP42s is that it appears to be capable of exponentiating matrices with the e^x key, but it's not doing the right thing: it just finds the exponential of every component. (The RPL machines just give up and throw a "bad argument type" error, which is better--if you can't do something, don't tell me you can.) Does the DM42 do something different?
I don't have my DM42 here at the moment to check but since the DM42 is based on Free42, it would surprise me if the behaviour is different from the HP42S.
Im not sure exactly, but from my limited understanding, the DM42 uses a fork of the Free42 core library, see github.com/swissmicros/free42, as well as its own version of frontend component of Free42 (github.com/swissmicros/DM42PGM) to support the DM42 hardware and DM42 specific features as described in the user manual. technical.swissmicros.com/dm42/doc/dm42_user_manual/
Yes there are some time and date functions from Free42S that are available on the DM42. Eg edspi31415.blogspot.com/2020/12/dm41-and-dm42-self-timing-programs.html
My guess is you would still recommend the DM42, given it is more capable and can become a C47, or maybe not. The states are interesting and more functionality is immediately accessible. Thoughts?
@@julioc4978 apologies for confusion- I meant the latest revision of DM42 has the same improved keyboard as on the DM 41X. Ie. The keys are no longer difficult to press.
I held off on getting mine until now (it arrived yesterday) because of the keyboard issue. Time heals many things. :) First impressions: Keyboard: Keys feel great. No mushiness, good travel, and no bounce issues (looking at you HP 15C LE) Build: Has quite a bit of heft to it. And the calc feels very sturdy. Display: It appears to be an E-Ink display and it is fine for normal lighting. Font is very crisp. Won't be impressing HP Prime users anytime soon. Actually very pretty. Speed: Yes. ua-cam.com/video/D-2kMylV9nI/v-deo.html for a comparison. Mind you, the DM42 is running in slow mode. Battery: CR-2032 non-rechargeable. Storage: 6Mb. Cons would be: It would be nice if the real estate used up by the "SwissMicros DM42" be taken up by a larger screen. I'm pretty sure that we all know what we have in our hands. The website info concerning flashing the DM42 is woefully out of date, including dead links. Instructions for activating the USB disk included installing a driver (which I couldn't do, and it turned out that it wasn't necessary), to strongly recommending that you backup your FAT first (with instructions on how to do this missing). In the end it was as simple as Activate USB disk from DM42 program SETUP → File → Activate USB Disk or directly from DMCP System menu. (And only then) Connect USB cable from DM42 to PC/Mac computer. Selecting your two files and telling it to flash. Once complete, you will then have to flash the second file before you can use your calculator. The "Save and Restore State" instructions can be found in the serial guide: technical.swissmicros.com/manuals/swissmicros_serial_guide_v1.63.pdf "Save and Restore" is part of the backup plan, I think? A bit late for me, LOL! Curiously the only HP manuals on the site are in German. But I'm sure that I can find the English ones on my own. So far I'm very impressed. I can see it being my everyday calculator. Thanks for the review!
As always, this is a great video. Thanks so much!
A peculiarity of the original HP42s is that it appears to be capable of exponentiating matrices with the e^x key, but it's not doing the right thing: it just finds the exponential of every component. (The RPL machines just give up and throw a "bad argument type" error, which is better--if you can't do something, don't tell me you can.) Does the DM42 do something different?
I don't have my DM42 here at the moment to check but since the DM42 is based on Free42, it would surprise me if the behaviour is different from the HP42S.
Great video. In what way are the Free42 and DM42 significantly different?
Im not sure exactly, but from my limited understanding, the DM42 uses a fork of the Free42 core library, see github.com/swissmicros/free42, as well as its own version of frontend component of Free42 (github.com/swissmicros/DM42PGM) to support the DM42 hardware and DM42 specific features as described in the user manual. technical.swissmicros.com/dm42/doc/dm42_user_manual/
I have made a video about DM15L
ua-cam.com/video/5faPxUDpCDo/v-deo.html
Check it out.
great review... is it possible to access the clock and date functions in your own programs?
Yes there are some time and date functions from Free42S that are available on the DM42. Eg edspi31415.blogspot.com/2020/12/dm41-and-dm42-self-timing-programs.html
Fantastic... thanks
Which HP calculators support the HP solver? I have the 17BII and I love the solve, but I would like a scientific one instead of a business one.
If you okay with algebraic entry the 27S supported the same solver. ua-cam.com/video/B-U6ceKBZxo/v-deo.htmlsi=Vd3uBdiqjaSYPN5L
My guess is you would still recommend the DM42, given it is more capable and can become a C47, or maybe not. The states are interesting and more functionality is immediately accessible. Thoughts?
Depends on your taste, but it’s still my favourite.
I still have my faithful 41-C !
Hi I see that you probably bought it this year?
Did they fix the hard keyboard?
Cheers
Yeah i bought mine at the same time as the DM41X - they have the same key action.
@@CalculatorCulture I hope they can fix this soon...
@@julioc4978 apologies for confusion- I meant the latest revision of DM42 has the same improved keyboard as on the DM 41X. Ie. The keys are no longer difficult to press.
I have made a video about DM15L
ua-cam.com/video/5faPxUDpCDo/v-deo.html
Check it out.
i Want to buy an HP42S , that keyboard! OMG
I have made a video about DM15L
ua-cam.com/video/5faPxUDpCDo/v-deo.html
Check it out.
Apparently it is fixed in the newer version.
If you know of any surveying programs for the 42, could you let me know.
I held off on getting mine until now (it arrived yesterday) because of the keyboard issue. Time heals many things. :)
First impressions:
Keyboard: Keys feel great. No mushiness, good travel, and no bounce issues (looking at you HP 15C LE)
Build: Has quite a bit of heft to it. And the calc feels very sturdy.
Display: It appears to be an E-Ink display and it is fine for normal lighting. Font is very crisp. Won't be impressing HP Prime users anytime soon. Actually very pretty.
Speed: Yes. ua-cam.com/video/D-2kMylV9nI/v-deo.html for a comparison. Mind you, the DM42 is running in slow mode.
Battery: CR-2032 non-rechargeable.
Storage: 6Mb.
Cons would be: It would be nice if the real estate used up by the "SwissMicros DM42" be taken up by a larger screen. I'm pretty sure that we all know what we have in our hands.
The website info concerning flashing the DM42 is woefully out of date, including dead links. Instructions for activating the USB disk included installing a driver (which I couldn't do, and it turned out that it wasn't necessary), to strongly recommending that you backup your FAT first (with instructions on how to do this missing).
In the end it was as simple as
Activate USB disk from DM42 program SETUP → File → Activate USB Disk or directly from DMCP System menu.
(And only then) Connect USB cable from DM42 to PC/Mac computer.
Selecting your two files and telling it to flash. Once complete, you will then have to flash the second file before you can use your calculator.
The "Save and Restore State" instructions can be found in the serial guide: technical.swissmicros.com/manuals/swissmicros_serial_guide_v1.63.pdf
"Save and Restore" is part of the backup plan, I think? A bit late for me, LOL!
Curiously the only HP manuals on the site are in German. But I'm sure that I can find the English ones on my own.
So far I'm very impressed. I can see it being my everyday calculator. Thanks for the review!
It's not an epaper display, but rather a Sharp memory LCD which is a solid-state LCD and looks a bit similar to epaper
.nice
Very interesting machines, really, but (im very sorry) video is so boring...
Sure you might like this video about the DM42 instead ua-cam.com/video/Ong91Ji3iDk/v-deo.html&ab_channel=EEVblog
I have made a video about DM15L
ua-cam.com/video/5faPxUDpCDo/v-deo.html
Check it out.
The keyboard labeling on the HP is a work of art. On the DM42, it looks like the labels were literally barfed onto the calculator.