Author Topic: Keyboard Calculator (Read 9159 times)

lowpoly · « **Reply #50 on:** Mon, 22 June 2009, 05:26:33 »

Quote from: ripster;97683

I checked it with a keycode scanner. Should be your standard issue ENTER.

Tried it again and it is like you said. Don't know why it showed up as = in Excel. Happened on a friend's machine/spreadsheet.

talis · « **Reply #51 on:** Mon, 22 June 2009, 10:55:53 »

Quote from: megarat;98225

HP hadn't made anything really worthy in the calculator department since the 48gx. They created a 48Gii, and the 49 series, and even the 50g, but they're all weird, unreliable, cheap plastic toys. They came close to "reimagining" their vintage products with the HP 35s, but it's still a cheap imposter compared to the models it was intended to succeed.

The 35s looks like a fairly nice calculator. I bought a 33s a while ago hoping it would replace the 32SII I use on a day to day basis (2 line stack vs the 1 line of the 32SII), unfortunately they decided to use weird slanted keys for no reason, which makes it really hard to use. I ended up sticking with the 32SII. I'd love to get my hands on a 42S, but they seem to sell for $3-400 on ebay.

megarat · « **Reply #52 on:** Mon, 22 June 2009, 16:44:50 »

Quote from: talis;98316

The 35s looks like a fairly nice calculator. I bought a 33s a while ago hoping it would replace the 32SII I use on a day to day basis (2 line stack vs the 1 line of the 32SII), unfortunately they decided to use weird slanted keys for no reason, which makes it really hard to use. I ended up sticking with the 32SII. I'd love to get my hands on a 42S, but they seem to sell for $3-400 on ebay.

Insofar as modern scientific calculators go, the 35s is pretty darn good. It's supposed to be the spiritual successor of the 32s line. In terms of functionality, it's pretty reasonable, and for the price you can do a lot worse. But w/r/t build quality, user experience, etc., it's still not the same.

And yeah, that 33s was a travesty. You said, "they decided to use weird slanted keys for no reason", but unfortunately they did have a reason: they wanted it to appeal to the younger crowd by having it resemble a mobile phone. How many hairy-eared engineers are going to flock to that?

talis · « **Reply #53 on:** Mon, 22 June 2009, 19:07:37 »

The new generation of engineers who use these :

Instead of these :

Grow up to design keyboards that look like this :

Instead of this :

=P

huha · « **Reply #54 on:** Mon, 22 June 2009, 20:00:26 »

33s? 42s? What's wrong with you people?
You just ought to use a 41C.

-huha

Rajagra · « **Reply #55 on:** Mon, 22 June 2009, 22:49:56 »

The 41C reminds me of the TI-57 I had. Happy days, programming a calculator in assembler type language. Sigh. I'm welling up. :Cry:

dmw · « **Reply #56 on:** Tue, 23 June 2009, 00:52:23 »

Bah Calculators! Real men use these:

Truth be told, that's not my hand. I don't think I've ever even handled a slide rule before.

keyb_gr · « **Reply #57 on:** Tue, 23 June 2009, 07:14:13 »

I actually have one. (I'm only using bog standard scientific calculators though, plus PC software if need be.)

megarat · « **Reply #58 on:** Tue, 23 June 2009, 09:43:23 »

I have a small collection of about eight slide rules (all Pickett). They're extremely fun. It's pretty amazing how just a sliding piece of metal and a plastic cursor can allow you to perform some complex mathematical operations with reasonable accuracy. It feels much more real than merely typing numbers into an electronic oracle.

Slide rules also have an interesting (dare I say, "manly") aspect that you don't see with calculators: operation is a skill -- a skill that must be acquired and honed -- and the more skilled you are, the better your results will be. For some it's even a competitive sport.

o2dazone · « **Reply #59 on:** Tue, 23 June 2009, 09:50:15 »

Quote from: megarat;98569

I have a small collection of about eight slide rules (all Pickett). They're extremely fun. It's pretty amazing how just a sliding piece of metal and a plastic cursor can allow you to perform some complex mathematical operations with reasonable accuracy. It feels much more real than merely typing numbers into an electronic oracle.

Slide rules also have an interesting (dare I say, "manly") aspect that you don't see with calculators: operation is a skill -- a skill that must be acquired and honed -- and the more skilled you are, the better your results will be. For some it's even a competitive sport.

And it makes for a great pickup line

"Hey baby, wanna see my slide rule huhuhuhuhuh"

Rajagra · « **Reply #60 on:** Tue, 23 June 2009, 19:31:41 »

Quote from: o2dazone;98572

And it makes for a great pickup line

"Hey baby, wanna see my slide rule huhuhuhuhuh"

Napier's Bones might be better for that? Giggety giggety. :eyebrows:

megarat · « **Reply #61 on:** Tue, 23 June 2009, 23:05:14 »

Quote from: o2dazone;98572

And it makes for a great pickup line

"Hey baby, wanna see my slide rule huhuhuhuhuh"

"Aw yeah ... and this is the twelve-inch, extra-wide version."

watduzhkstand4 · « **Reply #62 on:** Tue, 23 June 2009, 23:57:37 »

I think someone should make a calculator with MX Blues x]!

wellington1869 · « **Reply #63 on:** Wed, 24 June 2009, 01:44:08 »

Quote from: watduzhkstand4;98717

I think someone should make a calculator with MX Blues x]!

ione (scorpius) does. see this thread:
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=5646&highlight=mechanical+keypad

I dont know the model number though, but there may be some info in that thread.

lowpoly · « **Reply #64 on:** Sun, 12 July 2009, 18:08:08 »

Ah, the 3700. Brilliant.

megarat · « **Reply #65 on:** Mon, 13 July 2009, 13:24:34 »

Supremely cool. I would love to see a scientific calculator equivalent. (I know, it would be the size of a HHKB, but that's part of the awesomeness. Having something like that on my desk would be très chic.)

talis · « **Reply #66 on:** Tue, 14 July 2009, 15:41:38 »

Quote from: megarat;102391

Supremely cool. I would love to see a scientific calculator equivalent. (I know, it would be the size of a HHKB, but that's part of the awesomeness. Having something like that on my desk would be très chic.)

A clickey version of the TI-92 would be a neat mod.

keyb_gr · « **Reply #67 on:** Wed, 15 July 2009, 03:52:16 »

About the 1+2*3 test:
The Windows calculator isn't half as dumb as one may think. If you set it to standard mode, it'll give out 9 (basically emulating a stupid cheap calculator). In scientic mode, however, you'll get 7. (Same on 2000 and Vista.)

vils · « **Reply #68 on:** Sun, 19 July 2009, 21:07:48 »

A bit OT but my Facit searches led me to This slideshow, with a abundance of nice calculater pics. Slide No 54 shows a Commodore calculater just for mention one.

Rajagra · « **Reply #69 on:** Mon, 20 July 2009, 00:23:43 »

Quote from: keyb_gr;102687

About the 1+2*3 test:
The Windows calculator isn't half as dumb as one may think. If you set it to standard mode, it'll give out 9 (basically emulating a stupid cheap calculator). In scientic mode, however, you'll get 7. (Same on 2000 and Vista.)

:O I never even knew it had a scientific mode, lol.

I downloaded PowerToy Calc, Allercalc, and Calc98 for nothing!

Still, now I can be like NASA. Do my calculations four times on different "machines", and accept the answer that comes up most.

lal · « **Reply #70 on:** Sun, 06 September 2009, 10:04:03 »

Yes, as a calculator it's beyond cool.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question more thorough than I could have ever wished

The parts look 100% identical to the XMs in my Filco, and the bad feel is the same, too. The switching metal plate in the Filco XMs do look a bit different though. Here's the pic from the corresponding thread:

Even your XM switch does not look absolutely identical to the simplified-II switches on Sandy's page. Seems the smallest common denominator is the narrow click leaf and then there's a multitude of differently shaped switching metal plates. ALPS is fun

lal · « **Reply #71 on:** Sun, 06 September 2009, 10:06:35 »

Double checked and noticed that the slot for the switching plate in the upper case looks different in the Filco XMs, too:

itlnstln · « **Reply #72 on:** Thu, 17 December 2009, 16:20:27 »

Nice, I like it.

lowpoly · « **Reply #73 on:** Sat, 19 December 2009, 17:48:42 »

I look forward to doing this mod myself. Thanks for the pics.

That black thing in the reset tube, does it fall out easily? I don't remember having seen something roll away but I may have missed it.

The other thing I'd like to improve is that the calculator won't take rolls like press key1, press key2, release key1, release key2. Didn't really look into that yet though.

lowpoly · « **Reply #74 on:** Mon, 21 December 2009, 13:43:17 »

Quote from: ripster;143818

The switch swap won't change the finger roll thing. I think they don't make calculators that way.

I wasn't thinking of the switch swap. Maybe adding diodes would help. I guess it's either or with the controller. If the controller blocks the second key because of ghosting issues then the diodes may help.

Quote from: ripster;143818

The black thing WILL disappear if you don't watch it. There are two parts - the plastic and rubber dome with conductive disc.

Looks like it's gone then. Or was never there in the first place. Next remote control that dies will become a rubber dome donor.

ch_123 · « **Reply #75 on:** Mon, 21 December 2009, 14:14:27 »

Did you use the dampened sliders with the complicateds?

lowpoly · « **Reply #76 on:** Mon, 21 December 2009, 15:51:40 »

It only has 9 wires to connect the 23 button matrix. I wonder how that works. The wires are labelled Gnd, A0-A3, B0-B3.

lowpoly · « **Reply #77 on:** Mon, 21 December 2009, 18:21:50 »

Converted to blue Alps. Much better now.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #78 on:** Mon, 21 December 2009, 19:27:50 »

I've already got an ALPS calculator, except it has a keyboard built into it.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #79 on:** Tue, 22 December 2009, 17:46:27 »

Only problem with it is the LCD controller's broke. Oh well.

keyb_gr · « **Reply #80 on:** Tue, 22 December 2009, 18:11:56 »

Would guess it's a plain ol' contact problem. Some of these displays apparently use conductive rubber sheets to connect stuff, and the contact points oxidise or something like that. (See CCRadio problems.) In case of Gameboys with display issues like bad lines, things can apparently be fixed with a heathy dose of contact cleaner.

Mercen_505 · « **Reply #81 on:** Wed, 23 December 2009, 10:31:47 »

I thought I was going to pass this one up, but after giving it some thought I've decided to snag a white one. The red is striking but just isn't my color. I've also had this burning desire to type on some white ALPS switches but don't want to buy another keyboard just to try them out.

I'll leave the XM switches in as long as they don't totally suck.

sordna · « **Reply #82 on:** Wed, 17 August 2011, 11:45:02 »

Sorry to revive an old thread, but an important caveat was missed:
You did not mention that the ALPSulator does not auto-repeat. I recently got a black Takumi, and the lack of auto-repeat means it cannot be used for games, mouskeys, or whenever you want to use it for navigation or other situations where you expect keys to autorepeat when held down.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #83 on:** Wed, 17 August 2011, 11:56:23 »

You do?

sordna · « **Reply #84 on:** Wed, 17 August 2011, 11:57:48 »

I don't regret getting it, it is a great clicky calculator!

keyboardlover · « **Reply #85 on:** Wed, 17 August 2011, 12:05:55 »

I don't think there's a calculator in the world that would make your ping poll relevant.

AlleyViper · « **Reply #86 on:** Wed, 17 August 2011, 12:29:47 »

It seems like enabling char repetition only in PC mode would be a great addition for that KC.
For the sake of the awesome calculators in this thread, I should look for an old and very used TI Programmable 59 that belongs to my father, it has been collecting dust for a decade. A RipOmeter is yet to be invented for such small and hard buttons.

sordna · « **Reply #87 on:** Wed, 17 August 2011, 13:36:38 »

FWIW the takumi calculator pings a lot! Very fitting to tally ping polls with it :-)

jpc · « **Reply #88 on:** Wed, 17 August 2011, 15:43:09 »

If I still had my GHSS with XM alps, I'd try removing the tactile leaves to produce linear switches with a reduced actuation force. It works on black complicated ALPS and IIRC can be done with XMs too.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #89 on:** Wed, 17 August 2011, 17:43:53 »

Quote from: keyboardlover;400427

I don't think there's a calculator in the world that would make your ping poll relevant.

Yeah, Ripster's polls were always boring and irrelevant. Mine are much better!

keyboardlover · « **Reply #90 on:** Thu, 18 August 2011, 21:20:48 »

Lolwut?

didjamatic · « **Reply #91 on:** Thu, 18 August 2011, 21:27:51 »

The ABS M1 I tried for 30 seconds before selling it on ebay was the king of ping.

The Solutor · « **Reply #92 on:** Fri, 19 August 2011, 02:42:30 »

Quote from: ripster;400410

It's still the worlds coolest calculator.

Is it liquid cooled ?

Quote

I use it all the time to help KL interpret ping poll results.

Is it otaku ?

:party:

devouringone3 · « **Reply #93 on:** Mon, 10 October 2011, 05:13:38 »

enoy21 · « **Reply #94 on:** Mon, 10 October 2011, 07:11:50 »

So ..... It's a Ten Key adapter with an LCD but no USB ... interesting.

REVENGE · « **Reply #95 on:** Mon, 12 December 2011, 14:16:10 »

IN41 when they make a scientific version. Great on the go with a Poker.

500_pts · « **Reply #96 on:** Wed, 14 December 2011, 01:12:47 »

http://www.watchismo.com/click-keypad-watch.aspx

next best thing?

News:

Author Topic: Keyboard Calculator (Read 9159 times)