How and why do you use your HP calc?

[Garth Wilson]

I initially got the 41cx to use as a hand-held controller of instrumentation on the workbench, through HPIL and the various interface converters to IEEE-488, RS-232, and parallel. Today I still use the 41cx every day—not much as a controller anymore, but as a calculator, timer, alarm clock, a daytimer that reminds me of upcoming appointments upon turn-on, calendar, tracker for how much time I spend working on different accounts for my clients, and occasional notepad and phone directory. (The slowness of its text editor limits the scope of the last two.) As you might have figured out already, I don't use a smartphone. I told a friend, "I don't like what smartphones have done to society," and he retorted, "I'm ahead of you there. I don't like society!" (although he uses a smartphone).

I don't really have any use for a modern graphing calculator. For my original purpose in getting the 41, the newer models have not been suitable HP-41 replacements at all. They are what I call "supercalculators" (all one word), and not hand-held computers that can be used as controllers. They're just small consumer appliances. I want the interfaceability to lots of workbench instruments at once, without going through a PC. The workbench is always too messy to depend on communication with IR beams. Things are always in the way. And USB and Bluetooth have their own set of problems. HP-IL was much better.