Best Tablet for Calculator Apps

[mjohnsonn]

If you were to pick a tablet device to dedicate as a calculator what would you choose? I’d like something maybe a little bigger than an iPhone 11 but not huge like a full-blown iPad. I’d like to be able to run a variety of calculator apps—HP Prime, 15C, 41, 42, 48, 50, etc. Good haptic feedback would be nice.

A specific model Android device?

An Amazon Fire set up for Google playstore?

Something else?

Thanks

[Sylvain Cote]

(07-07-2021 06:23 AM)mjohnsonn Wrote:  I’d like something maybe a little bigger than an iPhone 11 but not huge like a full-blown iPad.

There is the iPad mini (5th gen, 2019, A12, 2048x1536, 7.9-inch diagonal) but the cost would be higher than an Android device.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(07-07-2021 01:19 PM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  There is the iPad mini (5th gen, 2019, A12, 2048x1536, 7.9-inch diagonal) but the cost would be higher than an Android device.

An iPad mini would be my first choice too, but AFAIK there is no haptic feedback on any iPad (Apple calls the actuator "taptic engine"). And the necessity to pay for distributing one's software through the AppStore keeps away many developers of freeware.

I have an Android phone (Samsung Galaxy A71) whis is about the size of a typical calculator, but a lot thinner of course. I wouln't want anything bigger than that.

Regards
Max

[Bill (Smithville NJ)]

The Amazon Fire 8" HD tablet would make a perfect choice. Less than $100 and can be found on sale several times a year for a lot less. The 32GB one is fine for your application. And you can add a large microSD card if you need more storage.

The Google Play store can be side loaded to it, so that you have access to all the Play store apps. I have both the 8" HD and the 10" HD fire tablets. Both with the Play Store and I use Nova Launcher to set the tablets up without having all the Amazon stuff in my way.

It's hard to beat for a basic Android Tablet.

73
Bill WD9EQD
Smithville, NJ

[mjohnsonn]

Thanks folks. I've only had Windows computers and iPhones, no strict tablets, so this info is really good. I think I'll go the cheaper route and try the Fire. Great to get the verification from someone that it will do what I want. At the Fire's price it's pretty hard to go wrong and I see the YouTube about getting it ready for the Play Store.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(07-08-2021 10:58 AM)mjohnsonn Wrote:  I think I'll go the cheaper route and try the Fire.

Price wise this is hard to beat. There is also a 7in Fire tablet that costs only 55 Euros (with ads) or 69 without and is plenty big enough for this task. But none of those Fire tablets fulfils your requirement for haptic feedback. If you have tried it once you don't want to be without it ever again. Me at least.

Regards
Max

[Bill (Smithville NJ)]

(07-08-2021 11:29 AM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  But none of those Fire tablets fulfils your requirement for haptic feedback. If you have tried it once you don't want to be without it ever again. Me at least.

You're right - I had forgotten that the fire tablets for some reason didn't implement the haptic feedback. While all my Android phones do. I never run with the feedback on, so I had never noticed that the Fire Tablets didn't have it.

73
Bill WD9EQD
Smithville, NJ

[Hlib]

IMHO, the best option for a user with normal vision is android 6" ... 6.5". A thin body weighing no more than 150g, technology 11...14 nm, removing all unnecessary services and applications. And now, you have a normal modern calculator in your hands. I don`t like the iPhone and HP gadgets in the original design, because it is a product with unpredictable characteristics and unfair terms of use. It is easier to download a fixed version of a specific application (for example, from an honest hacker friend) than to deal with viral applications from the PlayStore/PlayMarket from HP, TI, CASIO, etc.
Edit: some insignificant typos.

[mjohnsonn]

Thanks Hlib for the suggestion. Understandable that a slim android phone could be a great idea. However...

Quote: I don`t like the iPhone and HP gadgets in the original design, because it is a product

What is "it"? The iPhone hardware or the HP software?

Quote: download a fixed version of a specific application (for example, from an honest hacker friend) than to deal with viral applications from the PlayStore/PlayMarket from HP, TI, CASIO, etc.

What is a "fixed" version? One without ads? Without bugs? A stationary app?
What "specific application" would you recommend to emulate the HP Prime if not the one from HP?
What "specific application" would you recommend to emulate the HP-41CX?
What about the HP-48 and 15C models?

While I'm not a hacker, I believe I'm just as capable. Why do I need an "honest hacker"?

[johanw]

(07-10-2021 07:45 AM)mjohnsonn Wrote:  While I'm not a hacker, I believe I'm just as capable. Why do I need an "honest hacker"?

I started (with a background in PC programming) making changes in Android apps that distributed the source code, and it took a LOT of getting used to because the environment and application life cycles are very different. If you start adapting apk's without source code, that's another skillset (decompiling, going through often obfuscated code, repackaging).

On Android, a lot depends on the version because things like file system access are changed often among versions. One of the many reasons to root devices.

But on Android there are a lot of interesting calculator apps. The goxx series seems to be revived (almost all HP models, and they work now reliable on newer Android versions), there are apps for Casio calcs, TI 5x models, the Basic handhelds from the 1980's, open source HP48 apps (Droid 48 and the derived 48sx), HP's own apps (Prime, 15C, 12C and 12C Platinum) and of course the excelent Free42, an open source HP42s emulator.

[John Keith]

(07-10-2021 02:07 PM)johanw Wrote:  But on Android there are a lot of interesting calculator apps. The goxx series seems to be revived (almost all HP models, and they work now reliable on newer Android versions), there are apps for Casio calcs, TI 5x models, the Basic handhelds from the 1980's, open source HP48 apps (Droid 48 and the derived 48sx), HP's own apps (Prime, 15C, 12C and 12C Platinum) and of course the excelent Free42, an open source HP42s emulator.

Don't forget EMU48! Free42 and EMU48 are the only calculator apps on my phone.

[johanw]

(07-10-2021 05:44 PM)John Keith Wrote:  Don't forget EMU48! Free42 and EMU48 are the only calculator apps on my phone.

Is it better than 48sx or Droid48? I remember it was a PITA to get it working on Windows with its kml stuff that needed to be added afterward. Never tried it on Android, partially also because of the large apk size and double emulation (Android app running win32 code).

[Hlib]

@mjohnsonn

Quote:What is a "fixed" version? One without ads? Without bugs? A stationary app?
What "specific application" would you recommend to emulate the HP Prime if not the one from HP?

We may detach the application from the google account and services, remove ads and files that are not necessary for us personally, change the signed certificate, prohibit Internet communication. Prohibit the application`s access to some phone functions, fix the "key click" option (if it does not work well, as in go49gp, for example), coordinate the time setting in the phone and in the application, add the "do not automatically disable the application" option. Be able to freely transfer apk files to other devices along with the data of this application. And so on.
All this requires certain skills that I do not have, which forces me to resort to the help of specialist. Sharing links and files of modified applications is a copyright violation, so let everyone solve these tasks independently.

[ijabbott]

(07-10-2021 10:19 PM)johanw Wrote:  

(07-10-2021 05:44 PM)John Keith Wrote:  Don't forget EMU48! Free42 and EMU48 are the only calculator apps on my phone.

Is it better than 48sx or Droid48? I remember it was a PITA to get it working on Windows with its kml stuff that needed to be added afterward. Never tried it on Android, partially also because of the large apk size and double emulation (Android app running win32 code).

It doesn't emulate Win32 code; it just has a few Win32 wrapper functions as a shim between original Emu48 code and the Android native API. The large apk size is because it includes the ROM images. It is pretty self-contained, with all the kml stuff included.

[johanw]

(07-11-2021 09:36 AM)ijabbott Wrote:  The large apk size is because it includes the ROM images. It is pretty self-contained, with all the kml stuff included.

Those can't be that large, the self-contained Droid48 is only 1.6MB.

I inspected the apk (that's just a renamed zip file) and most of the storage seems to be taken by huge images of calculator files, with multiple copies for eaxh calculator as well.

[John Keith]

I can't see the APK size being a significant fraction of the memory on a modern device. As for emulation speed, the HP 50g runs at about 50 * actual speed on my 3 yr. old phone.

[jonmoore]

If you're looking for a great tablet form factor for running calculator apps and emulators, this new model from Amazon is worth considering. It's a 7in Fire tablet which runs at the same speed as their current lead products (2Ghz), but it runs fewer threads. Most calculator apps are single-threaded so this needn't be a concern. It's available in 16GB and 32GB variants, and as every, with Amazon Fire tablets you're best advised to order the version without advertising (the premium is very reasonable - a fully stacked 32GB model without advertising is UK £79.99, which you can even pay in 5 interest-free instalments if you so wish).

https://amazon.co.uk/dp/B09ZVMMB33/

One downside of purchasing a Fire tablet is that you'll need a Google play account of some sort to download the Google Play store (the Fire store has far fewer apps). But it doesn't necessarily need to be something connected with Android, if you have a Gmail account with a minimal monthly subscription for extra storage, that will be enough (I pay £1.59 a month for 100GB of storage for my Google Suite products).

The form factor is perfect for Plus42, Emu42, Emu48 and a vast array of calculator apps including the HP Prime and Casio Classpad apps. Maple Calculator and the Casio fx-991ex facsimile CalcES are also worth considering (CalcES has lots of CAS features as well as the 991ex facsimile). And if you're into classic Pocket Computers, PocketEmul is great for its Sharp PC-E500S emulation (don't waste your money on the subscription, just purchase the Sharp collection that includes the
PC-E550S outright).

[Eddie W. Shore]

I find myself using my phone, for Android applications: Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. It is a large size phone that is a size of a scientific calculator.

I also like the Kindle Fire, a good inexpensive option.

[jonmoore]

My phone is an iPhone Pro Max which has some great options (especially all the Cuvee recreations of HP's classics from the 70's, such as the HP-67/97) but unfortunately not Emu42/48.

iHP48 is an iOS recreation of the 48/49/50 generation calculators (based on Emu48) and the 48GX firmware runs perfectly with Meta Kernal/Speed UI. However, the 50g emulation is sluggish. Other than on desktop OS's, I've always found 50g firmware on Emu48 a little on the slow side. Plus you're stuck with the onboard memory as Emu48 doesn't emulate the SD memory slot.

Sadly, there's also no PocketEmul on iOS either.

[Steve Simpkin]

(06-16-2022 01:59 PM)jonmoore Wrote:  My phone is an iPhone Pro Max which has some great options (especially all the Cuvee recreations of HP's classics from the 70's, such as the HP-67/97) but unfortunately not Emu42/48.

iHP48 is an iOS recreation of the 48/49/50 generation calculators (based on Emu48) and the 48GX firmware runs perfectly with Meta Kernal/Speed UI. However, the 50g emulation is sluggish. Other than on desktop OS's, I've always found 50g firmware on Emu48 a little on the slow side. Plus you're stuck with the onboard memory as Emu48 doesn't emulate the SD memory slot.

Sadly, there's also no PocketEmul on iOS either.

PockEmul is available for IOS.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pockemul/id1550150838

There is also a dedicated app for the HP 50G named Emu50g. I seems to work ok for me.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/emu50g/id553279622