From: John H Meyers on
On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 20:24:13 -0500, Rob wrote:

> I've updated my 50g to 2.09, and I can access the Equation Library.
> However, I've noticed that the solver will not launch properly.
> I get a very brief flash of the solver screen,
> but I am then returned to the main screen.

Any particular equation(s) or set(s) -- or all of them?

Have you tried starting in an empty new directory?

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From: John H Meyers on
On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 19:33:36 -0500:

[re Equation library won't SOLV]

> You need to use soft-menu (-117SF) as described in the HP50 manual...

Right on! But who wants to need a week's study to find out
how to even be able to start using a major selling feature?

Since menus are defaulted to "choose" when the calc comes out of the box,
this means that the Equation library won't work out of the box!
(even when RPN mode is set).

Wouldn't it be a good idea to have the Equation library *automatically*
set the necessary mode(s) [both RPN and SoftMenus],
to give new purchasers a smoother experience?

Surely any marketing types at HP would appreciate that,
instead of having new customers take their new calcs
right back to a flustered sales clerk at the store,
and trade for other brands which work as delivered?

After all, the CAS forces (often undesired) mode changes
all the time; why not let the Equation library
set a (usually more desirable) mode,
expecially if there's no other way that it can work at all?

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From: Jean-Yves Avenard on
Hi
John H Meyers wrote:
> Right on! But who wants to need a week's study to find out
> how to even be able to start using a major selling feature?
>
> Since menus are defaulted to "choose" when the calc comes out of the box,
> this means that the Equation library won't work out of the box!
> (even when RPN mode is set).

I'm looking at this from a different perpective:
fighting illiteracy.

People don't read these days when the information is right there on the
first page of the Equation Library chapter...

"Flag 117 should be set whenever you use the
numeric solver to solve equations in the equations library."

JY
From: Virgil on
In article <op.tepi9oftnn735j(a)w2kjhm.ia.mum.edu>,
"John H Meyers" <jhmeyers(a)nomail.invalid> wrote:

> On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 19:33:36 -0500:
>
> [re Equation library won't SOLV]
>
> > You need to use soft-menu (-117SF) as described in the HP50 manual...
>
> Right on! But who wants to need a week's study to find out
> how to even be able to start using a major selling feature?
>
> Since menus are defaulted to "choose" when the calc comes out of the box,
> this means that the Equation library won't work out of the box!
> (even when RPN mode is set).
>
> Wouldn't it be a good idea to have the Equation library *automatically*
> set the necessary mode(s) [both RPN and SoftMenus],
> to give new purchasers a smoother experience?
>
> Surely any marketing types at HP would appreciate that,
> instead of having new customers take their new calcs
> right back to a flustered sales clerk at the store,
> and trade for other brands which work as delivered?
>
> After all, the CAS forces (often undesired) mode changes
> all the time; why not let the Equation library
> set a (usually more desirable) mode,
> expecially if there's no other way that it can work at all?
>
> [r->] [OFF]

I second the motion!
From: John H Meyers on
On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:25:20 -0500, Jean-Yves Avenard wrote:

> I'm looking at this from a different perpective:
> fighting illiteracy.

> People don't read these days when the information is right there
> on the first page of the Equation Library chapter...

I don't even have a manual (neither printed nor CD :)

> "Flag –117 should be set whenever you use the
> numeric solver to solve equations in the equations library."

$$$ Millions have been made (and lost)
on issues of making things easier (and foolproof),
even "for dummies," and I think that the above approach
is not that which has produced the most millionaires.

You (and others) have done a wonderful job going this far,
and I hope that anything which may lead it to be appreciated
by more potential purchasers might be an advantage for you, too.

Thanks for the product which you (with Cyrille and others) made,
for all the recent developments and improvements,
and I hope it expands to receive its maximum possible
appreciation and market share.

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