From: twh18@isuvax.iastate.edu (Phoenix)
Subject: Re: Taking exams? (was: Extending the IR Port)
Reply-To: twh18@isuvax.iastate.edu
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 23:35:03 GMT

>The receiver of the HP95LX isn't bad either. I can receive the signal from my
>RC through my entire room also. However, you need to aim the IR beam well to
>the HP.
	I know this is inappripriate, but my fingers are no longer controled
by my brain....The evil finger grins:
	Get a plier and assemble a Gun Cross from a 12 gauge on top of
your HP48SX.  Now you can aim it toward the 95LX....
	That might not be accurate enought though, (no offense here:)
especially for those who who wants to use the HP48SX as a FM cheating
machine on exam.  How about put a laser sight on hp, and there you go,
just put the red dot to the 95lx's port......BOOM, the laser burned
the port up:)
	Here goes the serious posts:
	1)  Thanks to all who responded my questions about the reset
button.  (Well, 1st time I got 15 new mails in one day, all about
this topic, now I'll never forget where it is:)  of course, getting
more info is always great, "better more than nothing". I  was to
scared to any "brutal force" to my HP48SX, so take it apart didn't
occur in my mind at first.  For those one who are still confused :)
If you turn your hp48 facing at your, LCD screen is at the top, turn
it over 180 degrees horizontally, you'll see 4 rubber foot, the foot
that's on top-left (your left side!) will be the door toward special
operation "S&D MEM".  (People said it's on the right side of the calc
because they are talking about when the calc's LCD is facing you)
Be careful when you take those out by nails, one of my rubber foot
jumped out and it took me 3 anxious min to find it (my carpet is dark
blue:(  ).  Don't worry about dest your hp, you can stick them back in
as if they had super glue on them.  Just make sure you got them
FIRMLY put back up.
	2)  Introduction to Dan Kirkland's USND program.  It's a great
program, only 700+ bytes.  It will send anything (include libraries)
to another hp48 via IR with 5-7 times fast as the HP's own I/O IR sysetem.
Takes like 15 sec to transfer a 9k prog.  For those of you who are like
me lacking memories (Anyboy got a RAM card for sale?  I am serious).  
Get USND2 .  It's only 177 bytes, while still send stuff 2-3 times faster
than hp's own IR system.  (be aware that it's slower than usnd.  but usnd
is like 5 times the size of tsnd2.  So if you still want faster, I can
write a prog which send files at 384000 bps rate, it's gonna to cost you
though, size=1000+k:)
	3)  STringWriter (refered as STWR later)
 and QED are great prog.  I tried them both.  some comments
follows.
	The difference of those two prog are like the difference between
a PC and MAC.  MAC is user-friendly, while PC is powerful, more features,
but require you to memorize something and just a little bit complex.  The
biggest flaw of STWR is it only edit strings, just as the name suggests.
It's great since it can do cut/paste, replace, etc.  It has almost everything
that a basic editor have except dictionary and gramma check :)  (Yeah, now
it's the time to make some dict/gramma libarary for the use of those
text editing programs, I can't imagine my english teacher sees me use
my hp48SX to write a paper, and print it out on the IR printer:)
	STWR and it's 4 fonts togther'll cost you about 20k, which is
the size of QED too.  STWR has menu, easy to use, you can almost use it
instantly w/o reading docs (don't try this at home, kids:)
	QED does editing objects other than string, I think (I haven't had time
tot ry it since Mr.  Lutz makes his prog turn off after 3 min).  As I said,
you can only edit a object for max 3 min on QED, then it'll auto-quit.
Don't worry, your objectin editing'll be saved. Believe me, it's worth
the price of $8-10 to get the licensed version.  (the one on the FTP
is unlicensed, which means you'll either have to go w/ the 3 min limit,
or send some $ to author in Germany to get the licensed version.
The gooding about getting the licensed version is it will not
quit in 3 min:), while the author is gonna to keep updating every
registerd user.  Now, I know not every author charges his user for
his program.  But this guy obviously spend quite some time on QED.
The whole program is ML written, so it's very fast (which means it's
very very hard to program too).  The $8 is partly used for mail
the licensed version to registed users .  You know, Luft-Postmt is
very expensive, I can't belive it takes like 2.5 mark for my pen-pal
in germany to write me a letter (about $1.7 in US term).  So, send
your money with your appreication and we'll all be happy)  (No, I am
not his friend or what's so ever, I don't even know this guy.  The only
reason I type this is to let people know about the program)
Since you can redefine
the keyboard, which makes the top 6 row of your hp48's keys to user-defined
keys.  While every key can have 6 functions.  So press Alpha F5 will let
you start selecting, and shift EVAL will let you save the object, etc.
BTW, the QED also have at least 4 fonts, and you can even create your
own fonts, it also seems to have more function/featuers then STWR.
	That's about all so far.  
	I just have a questions.  In STWR or QED, if you redefine the keys
(SWIFT in STWR and something called qedkey in QED), will it still exist
after you quit the program?  I hope the program will auto resume the
standard key setting after I quit the program, cause it sucks if I want
to get the char $, and it doesn't work becuase QED's key settting changed
it.  
	Later!  And thanks again for those one who helped me find the reset
button.  Oh, BTW, I opened every rubber foot, and if you let the backside
facing you, and open the top-right one, you will find 2 holes instead of
one.  one of the hole looks exact like the reset hole under the top
left rubber foot, since it has some small metal ring inside.  Now, be careful,
if one of those key does a RESET, the other one could be "SELF-DESTROY".
Who knows, the HP seems so heavy it could have couple onces of TNT in there:)

	*********the end***************************
					Ming

	PS:  Mr. Lutz (author of QED) ever becomes a millioner(since we got
so much hp48 users and if everyone register QED, its' quite possible),
plase don't forgot about me who advertised your program:)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp48