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By Design News Staff -- Design News, February 18, 2002
Four tires better than two
I just read your 'Terrible tires' report in Design News (DN Breaktime 01.21.02), and I wanted to thank you for the information. I've always assumed tire dealers tried to push four tires instead of two just to make more profit. It's that too, of course, but I didn't know there was an actual, provable safety issue with mismatched tires.
It seems to me that this article (perhaps minus the formulae that are meaningless to many non-techies) should be made available to every tire sales outlet. When skeptical customers like myself suggest that "Two tires will be just fine, thank you," the salesperson could simply point to the placard sporting your article and say "OK, it's up to you."
Ken Knudson, Madison, WI
A FIRST rate article
I have to say thank you so much for now a follow up on touting the positives of reaching our youth through such organizations as FIRST Robotics and FIRST Lego League (DN 12.17.01). Two years ago I led the design team for FIRST robotics and went to Epcot to compete. This year I coach/mentor a FLL team at a small school of 100 students. We did well in the competition and it energized the entire school. The response from everyone has been overwhelming. They are excited about science and can't wait to get to 8th grade so they can build a robot and compete.
All competitions at FIRST are set up so that everyone goes away a winner. FIRST asks you to give your best and then rewards you for doing it. Thanks for highlighting what will help us attract the "best and the brightest" into our engineering ranks.
Stephen F. Kramp, Sr. Design and Development Engineer, BOSCH AC/ECH1
A calculating HP user
I enjoyed your editorial on HP's calculator group (DN 12.17.01). I have used HP RPN calculators since my 2nd year at Stanford. Sounds like I don't need to run right out and get a backup for my 42S.
I am pleased that I was able to mentally calculate the correct values for the first 3 keystroke series. The exponential threw me in the last one. I needed to add "FIX 0" at the end to round the value (I calculated 910.9992…) to 911.
Having started with a 25 with only 49 steps of programming, I learned how to minimize keystrokes. I suspect the superfluous "ENTER" strokes (4 in the last 3 series) were included as humorous emphasis of the RPN difference.
Wake Louis, Northrop Grumman Marine Systems
He'd give his right arm!
Loved your editorial. My HP 32S RPN scientific calculator is like a right arm for this old engineer. Coincidentally I just ordered a spare calculator off the Internet prior to reading your editorial, because I didn't want to be without an extra "on hand!"
Donald Carriere
History of innovations
My first position after college was as an IC designer in HP's calculator group in Corvallis, Oregon and I still have very fond memories of the products, people, and company. The calculator group and the whole division represent much of the old HP and the kinds of innovation that are now lacking in the company.
This is not the first denial of exit from this market. If memory serves me correctly, the product line was phased out in Corvallis and transferred to Singapore many years ago in an attempt to invigorate it with new, low cost products. It was phased out from there after some rather disappointing products and arrived in Australia. Now it may go full circle, either to Singapore or to its original roots in Palo Alto.
It is a shame that the product line that was once the first contact with HP has fallen, but the rise of the printer name has long since replaced the need for supporting a group that didn't return the type of profit margins that the management and market expects.
Bill Saltzstein, President, Code Blue Communications, Inc.
Great stuff
I just want to say thank you for the variety of articles in your magazine. I am an English teacher at a vocational high school in Dayton, Ohio, and my students are future designers, CAD technicians, and machinists. We use your articles for supplementary information, discussions, and short writing assignments. The Montero series that ran on your back page last fall was a jump start for their research papers. Keep up the good work.
Linda Applegate, Miami Valley Career Tech Ctr
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