What's your favorite non-RPN HP?

[Dave Britten]

Perish the thought, I know. But in reality some of them were pretty decent. For example, the almost-programmable 17B and 19B. In a lot of cases, the solver makes it easier to create a "program" for relatively simple tasks.

Then there's the HP-2XS range, which I think were all strictly algebraic. The 20S and 21S are keystroke programmable, the 22S has a basic solver in it (I think), and the 27S appears to be a (non-programmable) hybrid of the 17B and 42S with at least some portion of the HP solver brought over. (Didn't they have to trim some of the functionality due to limited ROM space? Or am I thinking of something else?)

I'm partial to the 20S, personally. There's something rewarding about cramming a useful program into 100 steps and 10 registers, relying on undocumented quirks of INPUT and SWAP to do so. Plus it's just a quick, well built, nice looking machine.

[Didier Lachieze]

The 71b.

[everettr]

(05-19-2014 04:44 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  Perish the thought, I know. But in reality some of them were pretty decent. For example, the almost-programmable 17B and 19B. In a lot of cases, the solver makes it easier to create a "program" for relatively simple tasks....

With a science background, I did not give "B" units a second thought until I saw a 17B for almost nothing compared to other vintage HPs, on TAS. I have developed a lot of respect for the unit since then, discovering the

• joys of TVM
• close kinship with the 42s, useful for practice surgery or organ donation
• power of the solver
  

I also really like the 21s. It has HP quality, some unique features, and is something I can leave on my desk at work.

[Thomas Radtke]

My first HP was the 20S, which was an amazing experience after the not-so-bad fx-81p. Still, without indirect addressing and the various functions that load into memory it has some strange missings/features. Interesting yes, but not a favourite.

The 27S was what I took with me when getting my treatment and doing hospital/home office. Of course, the programming model is even more crippled, but actually being an equation solver there's a lot one can do with e.g. sigma and L. You all know that, of course. It has a quite large memory and does what I need: Solve some equations, store a few numbers. Yes, the 27S might be my favourite non-RPN calculator.

[Dave Britten]

(05-19-2014 04:58 PM)Mike (Stgt) Wrote:  The HP200LX. Definitely!
non-RPN???
Yes, of cause, you may optionally switch off RPN - if you like.

Ciao.....Mike

Now that's cheating! Unless you're talking about Lotus 1-2-3, which doesn't do RPN.

I'd pick the 200LX over the 20S as well (in fact, I do regularly), but I'm curious about the models without any RPN support. Would love to have a 20S or 32Sii simulator on my 200LX for banging out simple keystroke programs now and then.

[Tugdual]

The Prime. A pretty good non RPN calc (well it does have RPN but this is obviously not the prefered choice for this calc).

[walter b]

I concur voting for the 27S. In my eyes, it shows a beautifully clean layout as well - close to the one of the 42S. And yes, also the 21S appeals to me for its particular features.

d:-)

[kakima]

The 50g, with the 39gII and the 71B neck-and-neck for a distant second.

[Mike Morrow]

There are no non-RPN/RPL HP calculators on which I would ever try anything serious except for the recent HP 10bii+ (maybe) and the HP 39gii (not directly available in the US). I've been able to get some use from a 1997 HP 20S for the purpose of demonstrations as well.

My number one most-hated HP calculator is the HP 38G.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

There are three that I like equally well: The HP-01, the HP-10 (which is a collectors dream of sorts) and the 71B which must be one of the best calculators ever.

[Les Bell]

I don't believe I've ever used one. I bought an 18C for my wife, when her 33C died many years ago, but after flipping quickly through the manual, I decided it wasn't for me.

Even the RPL models don't appeal to me; I admire the orthogonality of the way they work with types like complex numbers, arrays and lists, but that's all just overhead when I mostly want to do a back-of-an-envelope calculation.

So I'm with Didier - the most interesting non-RPN machine would have to be the 71b.

[Sylvain Cote]

My non HP RPN favourites would have to go the hand held computer family ...
1) HP-75C for it's qwerty keyboard, speed and it's BASIC (with I/O ROM & Math modules)
2) HP-71B for it's expandability, HP-IL implementation and it's BASIC (with Math module)
Sylvain

[bshoring]

The only non-RPN HP I've had is the HP-71B, which is pretty nice, especially the Calc Mode. Of course, I did get the HP41 emulator module so I did find a way to get RPN on it.

Still, I'd rather have my old HP-38C LED financial back. Really miss that one.

[Paul Berger (Canada)]

These days I would have to say it is my Prime, but I also have a 39gs I quite like. While the 71B, 75, and even my 86B are also capable calculators I find that the QWERTY keyboard is not really suited for use as a calculator.

[rprosperi]

My favorite non-RPN (and assume non-RPL as well) HP Calculator:

HP-71B
HP-27S
HP-19BII

Yes, that one is my favorite. Absolutely.

[Dave Britten]

(05-20-2014 03:34 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  My favorite non-RPN (and assume non-RPL as well) HP Calculator:

Yes, thanks for clarifying that. I tend to lump the two processing environments together as "RPN", despite the obvious differences. I much prefer RPL personally.

(05-20-2014 03:34 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  HP-71B
HP-27S
HP-19BII

Yes, that one is my favorite. Absolutely.

The asinine battery door is really the only big strike against the 19B/19BII. Though weirdly, you can usually get a good 95LX for less than half the price, and I believe it's nearly a super-set of the 19B's features. (82240 printer support isn't very seamless on the palmtops.

I see a lot of fans if the 71B. Is there a good emulation for iPad and/or Android?

[Didier Lachieze]

(05-20-2014 06:49 AM)Dave Britten Wrote:  I see a lot of fans if the 71B. Is there a good emulation for iPad and/or Android?

For Android you have go71b.

[walter b]

(05-20-2014 06:49 AM)Dave Britten Wrote:  

(05-20-2014 03:34 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  My favorite non-RPN (and assume non-RPL as well) HP Calculator:

Yes, thanks for clarifying that. I tend to lump the two processing environments together as "RPN", despite the obvious differences. I much prefer RPL personally.

Those shouldn't be lumped together indeed. While both are obvious postfix notations, RPL strains the underlying postfix principle beyond the pain barrier IMHO, exceeding the limit where it becomes annoying for the human brain. Not for everybody, of course, but also for many scientists and engineers. For a tool not used 8h per day, I much prefer the original RPN personally.

d:-)

[Paul Dale]

Nobody is suggesting the 20b/30b for what they can be repurposed into

- Pauli

[walter b]

(05-20-2014 08:11 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  Nobody is suggesting the 20b/30b for what they can be repurposed into

Maybe due to Dave's question. He asked for our favorite non-RPN HP instead of our favorite non-HP RPN.

d:-)