Calculators

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I've been using my daughters calculator to help a friend with their small business but even though it has "everything" I wish I had my old HP with reverse polish notation.

I know there are some computer simulations but can you still buy a hand held calculator with this feature?

If nothing else we will see who the oldtimers are!!!!!!
 
It's easier to do than explain but say you want to add 2 and 3 on a conventional calculator you would press 2 + 3 = but on the HP it would be 2 enter 3 +. What you are doing is putting 2 into a registry where it can be operated on.

The advantage of this system is being able to do long calculations without having to use memories. Once mastered it is really quick and conventional calculators seem very cumbersome.
 
The later 33S isn't bad. The earlier 33S had an impossible-to-see decimal point and (I think) some software bug. The goofy chevron key design wasn't necessary, but it works ok. I prefer my old 32 series, though those also had some obscure software bug. These weren't too expensive way back, but NOS or mint ones were going for insane high prices on eBay a while back. IMO, RVP can't be beat, but modern engineers are no longer familiar with it. There are also a couple HP copies that run on the PC if you search around. I think there's also an HP calculator forum.
 
I use a HP 45C regularly. Nice small gadget with pouch, programming manual, user manual (two large volumes), charger, non-volatile memory inside... RPN and the stack register make calculations very quick once you used to it. HP made damned cool stuff before they went in the PC/Printer business...
 
I have been using an HP-41 since the early 1980's -- although the original HP-41C was replaced by my employer with a HP-41CX when a co-worker spilled coffee all over it. I have the EE programs as well as the financial and statistics packages.

TI-59 is a great device - and is serially capable. The HP-41 used the HP-IL interface which will hook up to a HP 3468 DVM!

I also use an HP48G but find the HP-41 easier.

Whatever happened to books of logarithms and slip-sticks?
 
"The earlier 33S had an impossible-to-see decimal point.."

Did they fix that in recent ones? That's the main thing that kept me away. Another thing was that it is a REALLY UGLY calculator, maybe I can squint my eyes and get past that (squinting couldn't make it any harder to find the essential keys like 'Enter'). I think HP hired some trekky to design their new calculators, rather than someone who occasionally uses one!

I've got two HP32S that I'm nursing along, but I'll only be able to fix them so many times.

And yes, IMHO, RPN is much nicer for long calcuations and for figuring things out without having to use paper or have the calculator preprogrammed. I truly hate algebraic notation calculators after using RPN.... But I'm an oldie too. Do younger people even use calculators anymore other than for taking SATs? Young engineers I see seem to always open their laptops to do math....
 
I don't know about the decimal, as both my units were old ones Wal-Mart blew out very cheaply a year or two ago. I keep my brown 32S ones for use at home, and the new one at work where it wouldn't be a tragedy if someone threw it against a wall because they couldn't figure out RPN. :smash:

I won't buy HP computer anything, as the last scanner and printer I got from them were nothing but trouble and got no upgrade support. IMO, their entire software staff should be, er, "reeducated" in some fashion. It's too bad the test equipment half the company, that owes its legacy to Mr. Hewlett and Mr. Packard, couldn't have kept the name.
 
I've used RPN calculators (currently an old HP48G) for so long now, that using a 'standard' one takes me a few moments of conscious thought, and I'm much, much slower using them when doing anything more complicated than a simple addition, multiplication etc.

I also used to have a free PC based HP clone software calculator, but lost it in a crash. Sure would be handy to have for when the HP isn't to hand.
 
stoolpigeon said:
I've been using my daughters calculator to help a friend with their small business but even though it has "everything" I wish I had my old HP with reverse polish notation.

I know there are some computer simulations but can you still buy a hand held calculator with this feature?

If nothing else we will see who the oldtimers are!!!!!!
If you happend to use Mac, check this!
http://www.tamburri.net/LXVII/LXVII Home/Welcome.html
 
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