EEVBlog #1159 Dave Jones reviews the DM42

[boessu]

(01-17-2019 09:07 PM)berndpr Wrote:  I'm not HP or RPN fanboy (but a Forth programmer), so I doesn't know anything about the HP42S, but I will try it. (Yes, I have some HP calculators, like HP-35S, HP-48, HP-49 and HP-50, but many from Casio, Sharp and TI too).

I hope you like the classical RPN-style of HP-35S / DM15. The others you have do work with the so-called Entry RPN, which is a bit different. I'm not sure if you've expected the classical RPN for a calculator which costs around 200 bucks nowadays.
Quite frankly the pure functionality of the DM42 is not the reason why I bought one.

(01-17-2019 09:07 PM)berndpr Wrote:  I hope the device is better than the DM-15, which has much too small button text, especially the blue (g button) one. It is Daves vblog again, which gives me much confidence to do the right thing with the money.

The DM-15 is a gimmick. Even if it is usable, it's more something for the ye ol' HP lovers who like to have always a voyager style calculator with them. Maybe a DM15L would be the better bet if you like to use it often and more seriously.

The DM42 is clearly a craftmans work. It has visible screws, feels heavy, cold and solid in your hand and you can disassemble it easily completely. The high quality circuit board with concrete components on it you'll find behind the well massive metal plate speaks for itself. It's really like the electronics from the past where you've expected that it is possible to disassemble and reassemble it quickly and several times without breaking them. Lasting for a long time.
The display and the flash storage makes it to one of the best available classical (!) RPN calculators, if not the best.
I'm pretty sure a lot of engineers will buy that one just because of the way it is build.
But that's it. That is it what makes them special. There is no big company behind it and I'm pretty sure if the enthusiasts behind all of that will loose their interests, it will fade out. Let's just hope it's not anytime soon. On the other side, speaking of HP, we know that could also happen with big brands.

Most calculator users won't buy that one. You would get easily a better one (feature-wise) at Walmart or Amazon for less money. Or they just use their Smartphone, as most will do this time.

For me it's a bit like buying a Casio G-Shock vs. buying a Rolex.