Top three calculators ?

[Matt Agajanian]

Hi all.

Maybe because the iPhone spoils me since it’s always there, my lineup is:

RPN-67SD
Plus42
and
RPN-25CE (honestly, it should be named RPN-41CX)

[keenerb]

(05-12-2024 06:44 AM)tommi60 Wrote:  (Omitting those I use on my phone)

1. HP-15CE
2. CASIO fx-5800P
3. HP-27S

The fx-5800P is an outlier here, but amazingly versatile and capable.

I recently picked up a 5800p and I quite like it. I really wish an algebraic solver (I believe that's what's it's called) had been included in wp34s.

[Brian I]

I only have 2:

HP32SII (bought new in 1993; still works perfectly on 2nd set of batteries).

Free42 for iPhone.

BTW, just joined the Forum; grateful that there's still so much interest and support for these calculators.

Brian

[Raymond Del Tondo]

(05-05-2024 11:27 PM)case2001 Wrote:  I am surprised no one ever mentions the Hp28 series. I enjoy the separate keyboard. There is a nice iOS app rpn28x Calc.

Back then when they were new, I had both, first the 28C, which was a nice technology study due to its limited user RAM of ~1.6K .
Then the 28S, which was way more advanced and *useful* than the 28C.
Actually a graphical demo I made on the 28S, and which I showed to Wilfried Koetz of W&W on the CeBIT fair in 1989,
helped preparing the road as a developer of commercial applications for W&W on the HP 48 for me:-)

On an ergonomic view: If you flip the case halves of a 28C/S, you have two relatively sharply shaped edges in your hand.
Nice idea, but next to the worst ergonomic designs ever made by HP.

The Pioneer Series and so-called stretched Pioneers (aka HP 48)
were much better from an ergonomic point of view.
Except for the awful polarizers of the HP 48S series, of course;-)

[Steve Simpkin]

(09-06-2024 08:49 PM)Raymond Del Tondo Wrote:  

(05-05-2024 11:27 PM)case2001 Wrote:  I am surprised no one ever mentions the Hp28 series. I enjoy the separate keyboard. There is a nice iOS app rpn28x Calc.

Back then when they were new, I had both, first the 28C, which was a nice technology study due to its limited user RAM of ~1.6K .
Then the 28S, which was way more advanced and *useful* than the 28C.
Actually a graphical demo I made on the 28S, and which I showed to Wilfried Koetz of W&W on the CeBIT fair in 1989,
helped preparing the road as a developer of commercial applications for W&W on the HP 48 for me:-)

On an ergonomic view: If you flip the case halves of a 28C/S, you have two relatively sharply shaped edges in your hand.
Nice idea, but next to the worst ergonomic designs ever made by HP.

The Pioneer Series and so-called stretched Pioneers (aka HP 48)
were much better from an ergonomic point of view.
Except for the awful polarizers of the HP 48S series, of course;-)

I had the HP-28C then the HP-28S as well. I used them at work liked them a lot at the time. I remember reading the HP-28C manual cover-to-cover. It was extremely well written with many examples to introduce you to the new concepts of an unlimited stack, the RPL programming language and much more. I became an RPL convert.

The HP-28C only had 2K of RAM but that was more than enough for dozens of small utility work programs and equations that were listed on a menu by a 4-5 character name. That was a vast improvement over the HP-11C and the HP-28C Solver was also phenomenal. I didn't use the graphing, matrix or symbolic features so the HP-28C had enough memory for my needs. A year later I had bought a used HP-28S. I could now have many dozens of programs and organize them in directories.

As far as ergonomics, I always used it as a folding desktop calculator and it worked great for that. The main reason I eventually switched to the HP-48S was because of the I/O and the vast library of programs becoming available for it via the Goodies Disks (Thank you Joe!), BBS's and Usenet. That was just too compelling an improvement to pass up. I used that HP-48SX as my engineering calculator for over 27 years and it is still the one I grab most often.

[vaklaff]

(04-02-2018 04:07 PM)Michael de Estrada Wrote:  So what are your top three calculators, based on daily usage ?

6yo thread, posts still coming:-) Well then, my answer:

1. HP 15c on my desk
2. bc on computers
3. some of the HP simulators on my phone, 15c or 67 being the most used I guess
   

However in my case, “daily usage” is a bit of a stretch :-)

[Geoff Quickfall]

For me, the following:

1) 41CX / CL

2) 42S

3) 71B


Overarching reason

I learned programming on the 41 and it was my undergraduate and graduate go to calculator computer. The HPIL ran a few pieces of equipment and the programming was used to ease the data storage and computation.

The 42S because it was easy to port my programs from the 41C.

The 71B because basic was an easy programming language, you know, BASIC ;-)

Extra reasons:

all three printed to IR and two to HPIL printers.

1 and 3 had a clock which was required for work. Yes, modifying programs to accept time inputs was used on the 42S but added user input steps. Me, I am lazy, also by capturing time data in real-time reduced input errors.

Non purist, the 41CL!!!

Geoff

[Garth Wilson]

(09-07-2024 07:12 PM)Geoff Quickfall Wrote:  The HPIL ran a few pieces of equipment

Let me reiterate that HP-IL, through the HP82169A HPIL-to-IEEE488, the HP82165A and '166A HPIL-to-parallel, and HP82164A (and FSI164A) HPIL-to-RS232 interface converters let you run possibly thousands of different models of equipment, dozens at a time, from many different manufacturers.  I have all three of these.  I seldom use my 41cx's, or even 71B's for controlling, and taking data from, equipment anymore, but I do print to my two-year-old Epson LX-350 printer through my HP82165A.  It's unfortunate so few of these interface converters were made, because it makes it hard for anyone looking to buy one today on eBay or elsewhere to find one.  They did however open up the world of interfacing far beyond what most owners of the HP-IL module realized was possible.

[Geoff Quickfall]

Yes Garth,

HPIL was not limited to cable length or number of items. In 86 (thats 1986 fro the millenials :-) I ran a dessicator, oven, my HP ink jet and HPIL printer along with an HPIL tapedeck.

Also had the wand and card-reader with it.

Here is my use of the HP in 1984 to 1987 in the lab:


HHC talk on palynolgy

Cheers!

[vaklaff]

Just a reminder, the original question was “your top three calculators, based on daily usage?”, emphasis mine. I am not the OP but I find it quite interesting.

Most of us have very strong opinions on “top three” in the sense of best and that topic was subject of many other threads and posts. We tend to talk about it even when not asked ;-) However for practical reasons we often don’t use what’s best, if only to protect it. If we still have it at all…

What’s then “good enough” to regularly grab and use? What’s the car that you, sports car collectors, use for your daily commute or shopping? How it changes over time with ubiquitous computers and smartphones, with the changes in your work and life in general?

I haven’t needed a scientific calculator since leaving high school. Not at Uni (compsci), not at work (programming). The basic arithmetics I do from time to time is quite adequately solved by bc or the phone. When possible I do grab the 15c on my desk though. All other calculators are just for hobby.

My wife is a high school teacher and uses a TI-30Xa. (Well, a full herd of them, her spectacles, phone chargers and calculators are everywhere, that’s how she handles her forgetfulness:-) Despite actually needing a calculator she hasn’t developed any interest, not even taste :-(

[Geoff Quickfall]

Those were my top three at work. Although the 41 and the 42 were in my flight bag at all times.

The 41CX was in my lab back in 86 and again in 2020 and now that I am retired from flying, my university days have started back up. The CL running in my original 41C is beside me at the lab as is my 97.

Geoff

[Luke64]

For me, the following:
HP-41CX (my first love)
HP-71B-FRAM
HP-15C

[Hlib]

Ten years ago, my list looked like this:
1) HP-50g. Ultimate calculator from other world with vast customizability, very interesting for permanent study.
2) HP-48gii. Compact device, nice design, excellent tactile feedback and lots of HP-50` capabilities.
3) AFX-2.0+. A convenient and understandable mid-level CAS.
Over time, in accordance with new experiences, needs change and other tasks arise.
I no longer see the advantages of RPN/RPL
and prefer (b-a)/a->c instead of `c` b a DUP ROT - SWAP / STO.
Based on daily usage, this list has now completely changed:
1) FX-991DE_X. The best in CLASSWIZ line, for German users.
2) TI-84+SE with appropriate apps added to it. Once upon a time, I mistakenly believed that TI-84+ was nothing more than an overrated calculator for teenagers.
3) Graph89 app for Android. I use only TI-v200 option in it (for CAS calculations).

[carey]

(09-08-2024 08:57 PM)Hlib Wrote:  I no longer see the advantages of RPN/RPL
and prefer (b-a)/a->c instead of `c` b a DUP ROT - SWAP / STO.

I agree with nearly all of your comments but find the point about "prefer (b-a)/a->c instead of `c` b a DUP ROT - SWAP / STO" to be a bit of a straw man argument since using the tic (') operator on either the HP-50g or HP-48gii (the two HP calculators on your list) enables entering the equation algebraically in your preferred form without postfix or stack manipulations.

[Marco Polo]

(09-08-2024 08:57 PM)Hlib Wrote:  I no longer see the advantages of RPN/RPL
and prefer (b-a)/a->c instead of `c` b a DUP ROT - SWAP / STO.
Based on daily usage, this list has now completely changed:

On RPL machines the above stackrobatics is not necessary:
'(b-a)/a' 'c' STO

I am starting thinking that the most common mistake of many people is to apply the RPN schemes and principles to RPL "tout court"....

[Thomas Klemm]

(09-09-2024 06:31 AM)Marco Polo Wrote:  I am starting thinking that the most common mistake of many people is to apply the RPN schemes and principles to RPL "tout court"....

Here's a program for the HP-42S:

Code:

00 { 12-Byte Prgm }
01 RCL "b"
02 RCL- "a"
03 RCL÷ "a"
04 STO "c"
05 END

And these are corresponding programs for the HP-48 using global variables:

Code:

DIR
  RPL
    \<< b a - a / 'c' STO
    \>>
  ALG
    \<< '(b-a)/a' EVAL 'c' STO
    \>>
  c 2.5
  b 7
  a 2
END

A few observations:

• The translation of the HP-42S program to RPL looks straight forward to me.
• There's no need for stack acrobatics.
• Hlib's RPL program doesn't work: a SWAP before STO is missing.
• Also it calculates: '(a-b)/a'.
• Without EVAL the algebraic expression is not evaluated.
  

[Hlib]

@ Thomas Klemm

Quote:Hlib`s RPL program doesn`t work: a SWAP before STO is missing.

I got the ROT and UNROT commands mixed up. Now, if Level_1=a and Level_2=b, then DUP UNROT - SWAP / evaluates expression (b-a)/a correctly.
It seems to me that options (RPN) b a - a / and (ALG) `(b-a)/a` eval are not suitable for HP if we work with stack in manual mode.
Let`s say you need to do multiple calculations using this formula.
hp-50g:

Code:


<< DUP UNROT - SWAP / >> `f1` STO

Assign the program launch to the F1 key and get to work:
9 ENT 3 F1 `c` STO (c=2)
{9 12 15} ENT 3 F1 `d` STO (d={2,3,4}) etc.
ti-89t:

Code:


f1(b,a)
Func
(b-a)/a
EndFunc

Write down the template for calling function f1 in the menu key F1 and get to work:
f1(9,3)->c ENT
f1({9,12,15},3)->d ENT etc.
There is no noticeable difference in either convenience or efficiency when comparing two equally good calculators.

[Thomas Klemm]

(09-10-2024 07:30 PM)Hlib Wrote:  It seems to me that options (RPN) b a - a / and (ALG) `(b-a)/a` eval are not suitable for HP if we work with stack in manual mode.

You could use local variables:

Code:

DIR
  F1
    \<< \-> b a
      \<< b a - a /
      \>>
    \>>
  F2
    \<< \-> b a '(b-a)/a'
    \>>
END

That's what I already recommended in post #83.

[dlidstrom]

(09-10-2024 08:25 PM)Thomas Klemm Wrote:  You could use local variables:

Code:

DIR
  F1
    \<< \-> b a
      \<< b a - a /
      \>>
    \>>
  F2
    \<< \-> b a '(b-a)/a'
    \>>
END

And in that case we can of course use an algebraic directly and not use any stack operations at all:

Code:


« → b a '(b-a)/a' »

[Thomas Klemm]

(09-20-2024 05:41 AM)dlidstrom Wrote:  

Code:

« → b a '(b-a)/a' »

(09-10-2024 08:25 PM)Thomas Klemm Wrote:  

Code:

  F2
    \<< \-> b a '(b-a)/a'
    \>>

They are the same.