Greatest scientific pocket calculator in 1975?

[Willy R. Kunz]

Well, according to Hewlett-Packard, it was the programmable HP-55. Not only did it have 20 addressable data storage locations, 86 keyboard functions ("more than any other scientific pocket calculator"), but it also featured "more pre-programmed functions than any other other scientific pocket calculator in the world." Including a Last X register! And a precision timer to boot, with the ability to store times while the timer was running and later recall them.

Still, most people haven't ever seen or touched an HP-55. So, if you're curious, give RPN-55 SD (for the iPhone) a try. Check it out at cuveesoft.ch/rpn55 .

Willy Kunz
CuVee Software

[rprosperi]

Looks great Willy, like all the prior products. Nice choice too as the 55 doesn't get all the love it deserves.

I suppose it can't hurt to note here how easy it's supposed to be for a seasoned iOS developer to port products to Android... , nudge-nudge, say no more.

[Vincent Weber]

Excellent Willy ! Many thanks ! I bought it as I did for the others
Now missing the HP-80 (first business calculator ever, tricky TVM solver, first attempt), the HP-25 (first affordable programmable, first continuous memory with C version), and the HP-29C (very nice high-end small one)

Cheers

[Willy R. Kunz]

(07-02-2019 08:32 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Looks great Willy, like all the prior products. Nice choice too as the 55 doesn't get all the love it deserves.

I suppose it can't hurt to note here how easy it's supposed to be for a seasoned iOS developer to port products to Android... , nudge-nudge, say no more.

Hey, thanks for the kudos. You might as well underline the word "supposed"...
Being a one-man team, there's no way to find the time and energy to support another platform. Keeping up with the ever-changing iOS is hard enough. ;-)

[rprosperi]

(07-02-2019 08:48 PM)Willy R. Kunz Wrote:  

(07-02-2019 08:32 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Looks great Willy, like all the prior products. Nice choice too as the 55 doesn't get all the love it deserves.

I suppose it can't hurt to note here how easy it's supposed to be for a seasoned iOS developer to port products to Android... , nudge-nudge, say no more.

Hey, thanks for the kudos. You might as well underline the word "supposed"...
Being a one-man team, there's now way to find the time and energy to support another platform. Keeping up with the ever-changing iOS is hard enough. ;-)

Well, as I've heard many times, that's supposed to be a full-time job too.

I'm just envious - your emulators are beautiful and I hear nothing but praise about them, which is notable among this crowd; smart, experienced, opinionated, picky, and that's just the nice guys.

[bshoring]

I just downloaded the 55. Have a bit to learn, with the timer and all. Looks really nice !

Thanks, Willy, for another great product !

[bshoring]

I got my RPN-55 SD yesterday. Some features unique to this particular simulator is that it is also possible to use the timer as a clock. If you put it in timer mode and switch to Register View, you can run the timer and if you are timing several events going on simultaneously you can save the times of those events in registers 0-9 simply by touching the register in the register view display. I like that. When in Run mode, the Register Display shows all 20 registers. I'm pleased that I got it.

[Namir]

The HP-55 was my first HP calculator that I bought in 1975 from the Geneva airport (I was there a few days ago and DID remember that purchase in 1975!). Your emulator is exactly what I wanted in the HP-55--subroutines, more programming steps, FRC, INT, RND, RAND, P<>S, and r!!

Excellent work Willy!!

Namir

[teenix]

This came out in '68.

Somewhat of a future design :-)

cheers

Tony

[DaveBr]

Nice!
This makes the sixth cuveesoft emulator on my iPhone. Every one is amazing and an unbelievable deal.
Dave

[TomC]

Getting back to the original topics question:

Measure of 'greatness' is a somewhat subjective term and dependent on the times, so I will 'cast my vote' with the reasons why:

1975: The HP65

Why:
1. Pocket Size.
2. 'Nonvolatile' program storage via magnetic cards.
3. I owned one and 'wowed' my skeptical/laughing professors by outrunning our mainframe IBM1130.
4. Mitchell Feigenbaum (RIP) discovered his Constant given the HP65's unique capabilities.
5. I owned one (and spent a significant percentage of our disposable income to do so!).
(partial repetition intentional! )

..and I stil have it - it's waiting for the 'gummy wheel' repair.
Cheers,
TomC

[Gene]

Hi Willy! Great emulators. :-)

Small suggestion? The icon for the 34E emulator may have a bit too much color enhancement going on. The RCL button sure looks more greenish than gray at least to me.

Just a thought.

I find myself using the RPN-70 SD as my do to basic math calculator, FWIW.

[Willy R. Kunz]

(07-07-2019 08:55 PM)Gene Wrote:  Hi Willy! Great emulators. :-)

Small suggestion? The icon for the 34E emulator may have a bit too much color enhancement going on. The RCL button sure looks more greenish than gray at least to me.

Just a thought.

I find myself using the RPN-70 SD as my do to basic math calculator, FWIW.

I never held a real HP-34 in my hands, so I had to rely, colorwise, on the friendly user who suggested RPN-34 and photographed his own calculator on the kitchen table... I agree that the keys on the app itself look less greenish. I've made a note to change the icon a bit in an update.

My everyday calculator is the RPN-45. I use the day-of-the-week function surprisingly often.

[Gene]

And that ought to tell you something about your achievement... the ONLY suggestion I have is a slight color change. :-)

I think these are fabulous!