Angle And Numeric Settings - HP 39gs Master Manual

A n g l e a n d N u m e r i c s e t t i n g s
A n g l e a n d N u m e r i c s e t t i n g s
It is critical to your efficient use of the hp 39gs and hp 40gs that you understand how the angle and numeric
settings work. For those few who may be upgrading from the original hp 38g released in the mid '90s this is
particularly important, since the behavior is significantly different.
On the hp 39gs and hp 40gs, when you set the angle measure or the numeric format in the view, it
MODES
applies both to the aplet and to the view. However, this setting applies only to the currently active
HOME
aplet (the one highlighted in the view).
APLET
This means that if you change active aplet then these settings may
change also, not only for the aplet but in the view too.
HOME
For example, suppose you have been performing trig calculations in the
view with the Function aplet being currently active, and have set
HOME
the angle measure to .
DEG
If you were to now change to the Solve aplet in order to solve an
equation then the settings would revert to those of the Solve aplet;
probably be radians unless you had also changed those as well.
Radian measure is the default for all aplets and thus also for
HOME
unless you change it. Performing exactly the same calculation in
HOME
would now give a different result, as shown right.
Although this may seem to be a strange way of doing things, there is actually a very good reason for it. On
the original first model, the hp 38g, the settings for the view were independent from those of the aplets
HOME
and it caused a number of users to have difficulties as you'll see on the next page.
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