HP 41C - Advantage Pac

A video about the Advantage Pac, a ROM extension for the HP-41C family of calculators.

[@chef1arjunaidi]

Thank you for the clear audio which complemented the excellent video. I had the 41CX in 1980 and had to buy the Advantage module at a considerable cost.

[@kingofcotham9999]

Thank you for reminding me of the power of the Advantage ROM. As you say, it demonstrates the huge flexibility & power of the HP41C series and they are still relevant today with many specialist ROMs available. My favorite ROM/s at the moment are anything HP-IL which opens up a whole new world and makes the HP41 a 'system' much much more than just a calculator that expands to include peripheral devices and instrumentation. It's a shame the DM41X failed to incorporate this capability effectively reducing it to a 'strange' modern calculator.

[@Crazytesseract]

Thank you. The 14-segment display looks awkward; can't we select a normal dot-matrix option? (-formerly Dr. Dandriger)

[@CalculatorCulture]

Yeah it’s not the display, it is just the font used. The last time I looked there wasn’t an alternative font available.

[@Crazytesseract]

@@CalculatorCulture Thank you. You can have a look at my first calculator video (a shorts). It is a response to the video by backofficeshow.

[@MattMcIrvin]

This is my main objection to this calculator--if they've got this E-ink dot-matrix display, they really shouldn't be trying to make it look like the 41C's alphanumeric LCD--the result may evoke the original but it looks worse than the original. Just use a font that looks good on this display. I guess you could individually address the segments on the 41C's display? That might have motivated them to do this for consistency, but it ought to be possible to at least provide options.

[@pascalcoole2725]

I'm a bit a calculator noob, maybe some can explain me why the HP41 still is so populair while the HP42 to me seems more advanced. For instance these matrix functions and others are already build in the HP 42. I must admit i only have a DM42 (as well as a DM15) but playing with a HP41 simulator on my phone i was not at all that triggered as i certainly was (still am) by the DM42

[@CalculatorCulture]

The 41 is still popular due to the large ecosystem of ROMs/overlays available for it plus its support for HP-IL.

[@SteveAaron]

The HP41 series of calculators is still popular today for several reasons. Among them: 1- The humongous amount of programs developed for it, 2- The huge ROM available for it, 3- The superb and unsurpassed expand-abilities and options it offers, 4- The ability to program it in MCODE (Machine Language), as well as use synthetic programming. Not to mention it’s use by NASA on the first space shuttle. Also, it can remotely control electronic devices of all sorts through it’s Interface Loop (HP-IL). It’s probably the most iconic and best overall calculator ever made. With the different ROM’s available, things can be done with it that no HP42 can do (or even more “modern” calculators for that matter). For example, try doing 10000! on your DM42…. My HP41CL can calculate that in just over 8s using the SANDMATH 4x4 ROM. And the list goes on….

[@pascalcoole2725]

@@SteveAaron I do appreciate your extensive and enthousiastic plugging arguments of the 41. Some i understand, some i disagree. * Yes the modules concept for the era realy was genious, while these days there are many dedicated solutions as electronics have become incredable cheap. * I do have a Электро́ника МК-52 which was used by the Russins as navigational backup on the Soyus space craft. Well this calculator although fun is crap ! NASA also used MicoSoft Windows on the ISS....Space missions really are no prove of quality. * I'm a electronics engineer (embedded software/hardware) so i never had use for faculty. Still i once did indeed with large numbers i forgot howto though. - Ergo i do appreciate the HP-41 for it's incredable capabilities and these days for its 'gadgetbility' but after all it's a calculator. I always tend to grep the DM-42 (or if not available Free-42 on PC or smartpfhone) over anything else including the DM-15 which i find cute and usefull but certainly not a real programmable device. - I guess it really depends on once needs. Still again thanks for your great response.

[@MattMcIrvin]

People also just get attached to a good calculator to the point that their muscle memory adapts to it and something as simple as a keyboard layout change can throw them off. The 41C had kind of an eccentric default layout even for an HP, with the operator keys on the left, and I could see someone who was used to that not wanting to be forced to switch.

[@procerpat9223]

how does one type the “(“ and “)” characters in ALPHA mode on the DM41x ?

[@CalculatorCulture]

I'm not sure if it's possible out of the box. One way that would certainly work is to install the OSX module and type the character codes in using the special alpha mode (see kzbin.info/www/bejne/joWblqyFpMRkoK8). All the FOCAL character codes are documented here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOCAL_character_set

[@earldumarest5671]

Shouldn't the result of the matrix multiplication be [92 126 184 252]?

[@jimdoyle8783]

I get the same

[@cret859]

I agree, apparently the contents of the B matrix did not match what's written on the paper !

[@CalculatorCulture]

Apologies I must have made a mistake entering B.

[@LeicaM11]

Is it possible, setting German date format „DD.MM.YYYY“? Thanks.

[@CalculatorCulture]

Do you mean on the DM41's status line? Yes you can change the date format, see technical.swissmicros.com/dm41x/doc/dm41x_user_manual.html#set_date