Scientific RPN Calculator

[TheMarco]

Note: if anyone wants to help writing the insane help section for this app I definitely wouldn't say no...

You'll get:

- the store app for free (*)
- your name + URL listed on the about page
- my eternal gratefulness
- any other paid app I'll release in the future for free (*)

*) meaning I'll reimburse you after you purchased the app.

In order to do it you need to be able to:

- write basic HTML (the finished chapter 2 is an example of how to do it)
- use the SDK to actually test your help page

Let me know if you're interested...

[TheMarco]

B38 posted.

This version doesn't add anything exciting except for the mandatory 'here's some pointers in case you'd like to harrass the author' screen

This release gets me 'ready for submission' minus the missing help files.

[APEowner]

Nice job on the help files so far. I wish that I could assist you with that but it just won't fit in my schedule. I have two minor nits to pick neither of which are directly related to the help files.

I'd put it pretty far down on the priority list but your website is really not usable with the browser on the Pre. Now that it's linked directly with your app you may want to do a separate small screen version.

I may be the only one but I keep hunting for the +/- key before remembering that it's CHS on this. Do others have an issue with this?

[johncc]

Originally Posted by APEowner

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I may be the only one but I keep hunting for the +/- key before remembering that it's CHS on this. Do others have an issue with this?

CHS is fine with me.

[jp99]

I'd love to assist with writing the help file - basic html I can handle, but I don't know anything about SDK (I've not rooted my Pre - is that part of rooting it?)

If you can point me in the right direction for the SDK issue, count me in.

[jp99]

Originally Posted by APEowner

I may be the only one but I keep hunting for the +/- key before remembering that it's CHS on this. Do others have an issue with this?

No issues for me, but most of my HP calculators are older and use the CHS key. Only the newer ones have used the +/-. This program is modeled after the 15c which used the CHS key (see Bring Back the HP 15C)

That said, I'm comfortable with it either way, and if it makes the program more marketable with +/-, go for it Marco.

[APEowner]

No issues for me, but most of my HP calculators are older and use the CHS key.

That's interesting. I never knew that and wondered where the CHS came from. Based on some quick research on the Museum of HP Calculators site: The Museum of HP Calculators it looks like HP made the switch from CHS to +/- some time around 1986.

[milominderbinder]

Originally Posted by APEowner

That's interesting. I never knew that and wondered where the CHS came from. Based on some quick research on the Museum of HP Calculators site: The Museum of HP Calculators it looks like HP made the switch from CHS to +/- some time around 1986.

Calculators that are old enough to be in museums have CHS.

The only people who know what CHS is are by definition past the median age and therefore, old. Me included.

Please use +/-. The old nerd elite will know what +/- means, although begrudgingly. But the rest of the world will have not idea what CHS means.

If this app is a prank to show what elitists we are, keep the CHS. If this app is to be a salable tool, make CHS be +/- like the whole world has done for the past 23 years.

It is so fun to have a calculator that no one under 40 can use but the Enter key takes care of that.

- Craig

[milominderbinder]

From the Checkers thread:

Originally Posted by kesne

The normal way. Just a notification sound called "vibrate"

He has the vibration mode working and it is not using com.palm!

I love my vibrating keys. Maybe you could set it a bit shorter duration now?

- Craig

[jp99]

Originally Posted by APEowner

That's interesting. I never knew that and wondered where the CHS came from. Based on some quick research on the Museum of HP Calculators site: The Museum of HP Calculators it looks like HP made the switch from CHS to +/- some time around 1986.

Nice catch - I didn't realize the CHS changeover date was that far back. Except for my new 35s, everything I have is 1986 or before, and the 28C/S calculators I have appear to be the last ones using CHS (except for the 12C).

I agree with Craig - use the +/- symbol for this program.

The ONLY place I think you may want to keep CHS is in your upcoming financial calculator. The 12C sold today still uses the CHS symbol, and if you want to sell it to the 12C community you may need to keep it. I really don't know how much of a stickler the 12C community will be for following exactly what a 12C looks like, but they may be picky about this.

The 12C will be a different market - read over this link and see what they think the reasons are why this old calculator still continues to sell well.

One humorous story on that webpage:

One HP-12C was used by a zoo keeper to calculate feed mixtures. The zoo keeper dropped the calculator and it was consumed by a hippopotamus. The calculator survived the hippo's digestive process as well as the washing that followed.

Not sure our Pre's could do the same!! (that, plus I can just hear some of the whiners on this site ... waaa! A hippo ate my Pre and it won't work! I'm getting an iPhone! )

[TheMarco]

I think you can't set the duration when using the alternative way to vibrate. It has to be super short or it will be pointless. I'll give it a go.

I'll also change the CHS to +/-.

Note: I'm NOT quite over 40 yet!!!

[TheMarco]

Oh also: I received the formal invitation from Palm to start the review process and get the app in the app store

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by jp99

No issues for me, but most of my HP calculators are older and use the CHS key. Only the newer ones have used the +/-. This program is modeled after the 15c which used the CHS key (see Bring Back the HP 15C)

That said, I'm comfortable with it either way, and if it makes the program more marketable with +/-, go for it Marco.

This is funny. That picture has it in landscape mode. I was actually going to suggest that, when all is done, maybe add a landscape mode. ii

[TheMarco]

I'm looking into landscape mode because I probably need it for the finance version anyway. I first want the help files out of the way though.

[milominderbinder]

Originally Posted by jp99

...The ONLY place I think you may want to keep CHS is in your upcoming financial calculator. The 12C sold today still uses the CHS symbol, and if you want to sell it to the 12C community you may need to keep it.

Everyone instantly knows what +/- means. Even for the 12C, wanting CHS is just to prove that you are the oldest nerd in the room.

What is the downside of CHS instead of +/-?

80-95% of potential customer will not know what it means. Potentially alienate a huge market share for no reason.

What is the upside of using CHS instead of +/-?

Old elitist nerds will have another key no one else understands.

CHS is like the handle on an old adding machine. Put it in a museum.

- Craig

[tyea]

I think the conv button got broken on latest version.

[TheMarco]

Tyea it's working fine here both on the pre and in the emulator... Do others have issues with it?

[milominderbinder]

$15 is probably too much for a Scientific Calculator.

But $15 is too low for the ultimate Scientific RPN Calculator.

It's not just that you will be leaving money on the table. $15 is too low of a price to attract your market niche.

Having an RPN calculator market is to prove that you could be in Mensa.

When we RPN heads were buying our HP's, we scoffed at the less intelligent who used algebraic. We loved when they borrowed our calculators and could not use them. We happily paid extra for our RPN calculators because they were great but also they proved that we were the kings of nerdland.

$15 is way to low to buy that kind of self-validation.

Your target market wants to be able to say that they paid more than that.

Think about at least $20. And don't say $19.99. This is not the kind of thing you get on clearance at K-Mart. Maybe start at $30 for the true nerd elete early adopters, then drop back to $20 as a holiday special. (Notice I did not say Christmas!)

Remember when Rembrandt toothpaste came out? The first with whitening? It is a classic case study. They were told that they would have to under-price to have any hope at gaining any market toe-hold.

Rembrandt realized that they were after an elitist market. So name yourself after a dead artist and charge 3 times the going price.

And it worked. The elitists bought them out for months.

If you are selling an elitist product, you have to have an elitist price.

- Craig

[jp99]

Originally Posted by Milominderbinder

What is the downside of CHS instead of +/-?

80-95% of potential customer will not know what it means. Potentially alienate a huge market share for no reason.

- Craig

In this case I disagree. The only financial RPN calculator for sale today is the 12C. It is one of only three certified/accepted calculators for use on the CFA test. And it uses RPN. (The other two are TI's, and while they use +/-, those people won't be purchasing this product) 100% of people who know how to use the only financial RPN calculator out there will know what CHS means, not 5 to 20%.

The people who would get (or have) a 12C, and who would get the financial version of this program, have CHS on their calculators. It's hardly elitist. It's what's on the calculator you buy today.

[jp99]

Originally Posted by Milominderbinder

Maybe start at $30 for the true nerd elete early adopters, then drop back to $20 as a holiday special.

Marco, you'll have to decide how to market this, but in my view $30 for this would be too much. I can buy off the web a new HP-35s for about $40. And as nice as your software is, the 35s does a lot more in terms of functionality. You'd be starting to compete against the actual HP products at that point.

$30 would be a deal buster for me, as a price point, because of that.