Top three calculators ?

[Craig Bladow]

1. DM42
2. NQ41
3. HP-41CX

[John Cadick]

The three that I go to most often.

1. m48+ on iPad
2. DM42
3. HP-41cx

Alternatives that I really enjoy:

HP-15C
WP 34S
i41CX+ on iPad

I am also waiting for the next group of 41CL boards.

In my case it is - So many calculators and so little time

John

[Thomas Klemm]

(04-05-2018 10:16 AM)Pekis Wrote:  But I think no one can deny that the mind can't figure instantly what all these stack operations are doing in RPL (and RPN), and you'll end up documenting with pseudo-code tasting like ... BASIC:


Day of week:

RPL
<< ROT 2 -
IF DUP 0 < THEN
12 +
SWAP 1 - SWAP
END
3 ROLLD
100 / DUP FP 100 * SWAP IP
DUP 4 / IP SWAP 2 * - SWAP DUP 4 / IP
+ + + SWAP 2.6 * .2 - IP + 7 MOD
{ "Sunday"
"Monday"
"Tuesday"
"Wednesday"
"Thrusday"
"Friday"
"Saturday" }
SWAP 1 + GET
>>

This formula is from Zeller's congruence:

\(h=\left(q+\left\lfloor {\frac {13(m+1)}{5}}\right\rfloor +K+\left\lfloor {\frac {K}{4}}\right\rfloor +\left\lfloor {\frac {J}{4}}\right\rfloor -2J\right){\bmod {7}}\)

where

• h is the day of the week (0 = Saturday, 1 = Sunday, 2 = Monday, ..., 6 = Friday)
• q is the day of the month
• m is the month (3 = March, 4 = April, 5 = May, ..., 14 = February)
• K the year of the century (\( year \bmod 100 \)).
• J is the zero-based century (\( \lfloor year/100\rfloor \))
  

NOTE: In this algorithm January and February are counted as months 13 and 14 of the previous year.

Here's a possible implementation for the HP-48G:

( mm dd yyyy -- dow )

Code:

« ROT
  IF DUP 3 <
  THEN 12 + SWAP 1 -
  ELSE SWAP
  END
  DUP 100 MOD
  SWAP 100 / IP
  → q m K J
  « { "Saturday"
      "Sunday"
      "Monday"
      "Tuesday"
      "Wednesday"
      "Thursday"
      "Friday" } 
    q
    m 1 + 2.6 * IP +
    K + K 4 / IP +
    J 4 / IP + J 2 * -
    7 MOD
    1 + GET
  »
»

Using local variables helps to avoid stack acrobatics.
It makes code maintainable without the need of pseudo-code in comments.
My rule of thumb is not juggling with more than three objects on the stack.

Valentin is able to write BASIC-code for the HP-71B that I often don't understand at a first glimpse. But that's okay when he's playing code golf.

Thus it's not so much about the language but about your attitude when writing code.

I agree with you though in terms of RPN due to its lack of local variables and means to structure code and data.
There it helps to have a mapping of variable names to registers, stack-diagrams or the implementation of the algorithm in a language like Python.

Kind regards
Thomas

---

I had a hard time understanding your code but that was more related to the question of why you used a different formula for handling m?
Just so you can start the list of weekdays with "Sunday" instead of "Saturday"?
Or is it based on a different source for the algorithm?

Or then why don't you reuse c in the calculation of d?

Code:

c = int(yr/100)
d = yr - 100*int(yr/100)

It's been defined in the line before.

BTW: There's a typo in your RPL code: "Thrusday" → "Thursday"

[aurelio]

1) 41CLv4 -> the HP-41 is the eighth Wonder
2) HP-42s -> and all its emulators (I've not yet seen a DM42)
3) HP-50g -> I'll never swap it with a Prime

[DaveBr]

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

1. HP 41CX
2. HP 25
3. HP 42S

I have a bunch of HP calculators, but I seem to use these the most.

Dave

[Geoff]

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

1) HP Prime - The only calculator sitting on my desk. There's a 50g in the drawer, but it doesn't come out anymore. My older HP's died and are long gone.
2) RealCalc (Android) - So I can have an RPN calculator on my phone.
No 3rd calculator at this time.

I'd probably have the Prime Pro for Android except having paid for the hardware I'm not paying again for the app.

Geoff

[megarat]

I do computations in R and Python for a living, so most of the time my calculation/computational tools are workstation- to cluster-sized, but for those times when calculators are preferred or more convenient:

1. HP 15c (both original, one of which I purchased new in 1988). I keep one at home and another at work, and they both get regular use.
2. HP 16c. I noodle around with 8-bit assembly programming (8085, 6502, and starting to play with the Z80), and the 16c is a great companion for this.
3. HP 48sx. I play around with this just for fun.

Something new might make the list, however, as I will soon be receiving an HP 71b.

[Paul Dale]

For me:

• WP 34S: because I can't say otherwise & it is my all time favourite. Yes, I'm biassed.
• HP 45: because it lives on my desk at work.
• HP 25: since I've one next to me at home.
  

Honourable mentions to the HP 42S / DM 42S and HP 32sii which I also use regularly.

I'd also love to have an HP 97 on my desk at work....
Or teenix's new desktop device when it comes out


Pauli

[toml_12953]

1. Prime
2. DM-42
3. Gaxio FG-82MS

[Jlouis]

(09-02-2018 04:02 PM)toml_12953 Wrote:  3. Gaxio FG-82MS

I have to buy one...best calculator ever

[Archilog]

1. HP-67 (once its card reader is repaired, what a jewel!)
2. HP-41CX (attempting to code a fuel/alcohol car combustion program)
3. HP-25C (to repair or Panamatik's candidate).

Well... I voted twice, nevertheless "based on a daily usage", it remains true.

[Pjwum]

Based on daily usage and sitting on my desk:

1. HP-48G - it just feels right, like a perfectly fitting glove
2. HP-12C - quick calculations, and I use it's financial capabilities quite often
3. TI-89 Platinum - playing with CAS, experimenting with mathematics

Patrick

[Siegfried]

1) WP-34S app - most frequently used for quick calculations by far, but hardly ever anything fancy that could not be done on a HP35.

2) HP-15C/32S whichever is nearer

3) HP50G although I am miles away from even grasping what it can do.

I just seem to have more calcs than calculations.....

[Namir]

1) Matlab
2) Mathematica
3) Excel

I apologize for my 21st century response!

:-)

Namir

[Marcel Samek]

1) HP-67. It's on my desk at home and unless there is a reason not to, I will always gravitate towards it. Love the red LEDs especially because the lighting in my home office is usually dim. There is a definite pleasure in using it - much like using my old Leica cameras or a fine fountain pen - neither too practical, but an irrational joy to use.

2) HP-15c. From a feature and layout standpoint, this is probably the ideal calculator for me. For more complex tasks it is invariably what I reach for. Just the right balance of depth and ease of use. I use the LE but I don't think that's really relevant. If I could get a 15c with a red LED display (or better yet Nixies!) would never look at any other calculator again.

3) Tough to pick one to finish off this list. At this point I have probably spent more time with the WP34s than any other calculator and I like it conceptually, but the buttons of the base calculator are lousy and I get frustrated with always having to reach for the reference manual. I might have to choose the 35s - the ergonomics are good, the build is decent, I like the feature set, and unlike all my copies of the 32sii, it just works.

[Marcel Samek]

(09-08-2018 12:19 AM)Namir Wrote:  1) Matlab
2) Mathematica
3) Excel

I apologize for my 21st century response!

:-)

Namir

Well, I don't think it's splitting hairs to point out that that's a pretty 20th century response as well. The 21st century kids are are all playing with machine learning tools.

[DGM]

1. Naive Design ND1 for iOS (very good program, though the support forum is down again).
2. WP-34S for iOS.
3. HP Prime - physical and iOS versions.

DGM

[edryer]

1. HP-16C (and any Voyager)
2. HP-48GX (esp. the ones with the Black LCD screen)
3. HP-28S

Voyagers are legendary. HP-28S is beautiful. Had to return one recently as it had the battery door issue. But the keypad was sublime.. I don't think I have ever used better. LCD was super sharp as well... and it was fast! Also HP-71B is great.

Worst.

1. HP-48S/SX's... the LCD's were terrible, they were so hard to see, and almost impossible in poor light
2. HP-49's.... hated by every HP-48 owner!
3. Anything newer than 2000 )))))

[tuxfish]

Hardware:
1. HP-32E (my favourite Spice)
2. HP-12c (I collect Voyagers & am in search of the 5 Brazilian HP-12c Prestige)
3. HP-41C, HP-15c

Software:
1. HP-15c simulator of Torsten Manz
2. WP-34s
3. HP-32E emulator of Panamatik (HP-01 and other Woodstock/Classic
emulators of his are nifty as well)
4. New kid on the block since Allschwil'18: Virtual HP-41 Release 9 (HP-IL built-in!)

BTW: All of these calculators in software work excellently "out of the box"
under Wine (Linux or Intel MacOS).

When it comes to important figures, I trust the calculators more
than a spreadsheet ...

As a rule of thumb: every calculator comes in three:
1x work, 1x home & 1x as reserve
(“...still echoing in his brain: The Ramans do everything in threes.”)

[Valentin Albillo]

Quote:(“...still echoing in his brain: The Ramans do everything in threes.”)

Most unfortunately because, while "Rendezvous with Rama" is truly excellent, the two subsequent sequels are just textbook examples of blatant money milking. IMHO.

V.