HP Prime or HP 50g

[Ciro Bruno]

Great discussion.

It's very good to see people talking on the most sincere way. This is the voice of the user and it can help a lot on the product development.

By the other side, I must thank the HP team, represented by Tim and Cyrille, for giving their explanations in their most transparent way. This is very useful for us, users, to understand how difficult it is to deliver such an amazing product in such a demanding market.

In my opinion, developers' life is getting harder and harder lately. The nowadays demand goes beyond an outstanding product. Users (consumers) look for frequent improvements, ease of use, interactivity and so on. Besides, it is hard to define the target in terms of customer's satisfaction in matters like user's manual when most users don't even read them. I guess this is the challenge: to survive in a new world where expectations are not clear and change every day.

As user, I've been watching the tech products development in general stepping on mud trying to catch up rumors, competition and users who seek for improvement and the safety of stability at the same time.

Given all this discussion I have to congratulate Tim, Cyrille and all the involved team for the great job they do and, not least, for their peace of mind when explaining us virtually everything we ask.

I keep believing in HP and its products.

Thank you all for this discussion. I've been learning a lot with it.

Regards, Ciro.

[informach]

Hi!, all :
I have many calculator's as … HP67/HP41CV (complete), HP28C/HP75C/HP48G+/HP49G/HP50G and the best of all, the HP PRIME.
However, for work in SysRPL and MASM, IMHO, is the best, the HP50G.
I'm Retired Oil And Gas Engineer, with total know of survey, material's, Industrial Security (STOP), ANSI, ASME, IEEE, IEC, ASTM, OSHA, API, etc …
I create many year ago, much libraries for Engineering Calculus and edited in … https://www.hpcalc.org/search.php?query=caporalini

[Ciro Bruno]

(01-16-2019 01:38 AM)informach Wrote:  Hi!, all :
I have many calculator's as … HP67/HP41CV (complete), HP28C/HP75C/HP48G+/HP49G/HP50G and the best of all, the HP PRIME.
However, for work in SysRPL and MASM, IMHO, is the best, the HP50G.
I'm Retired Oil And Gas Engineer, with total know of survey, material's, Industrial Security (STOP), ANSI, ASME, IEEE, IEC, ASTM, OSHA, API, etc …
I create many year ago, much libraries for Engineering Calculus and edited in … https://www.hpcalc.org/search.php?query=caporalini

Hello Miguel Angel

Congratulations for your library and your career.

I've been through a "quantum leap", moving from HP-41cx toward HP Prime. I haven't used HP 50 and PRL.

I've learned Pascal, Fortran an C++ in university during the 80s and have programmed microcontrollers and PLCs during a long time since then.

Personally, I feel HP PPL very familiar due to its similarity to Pascal and C. I've been able to finish my first program in HP Prime at the same week I bought it. Now, with not much effort, I've written my first App.

Then, I'd suggest you to insist a bit more in order to get more used to HP PPL. I'm positive to say you'll enjoy it.

Best regards,
Ciro.

[JDW]

(01-16-2019 01:50 PM)Ciro Bruno Wrote:  I've been through a "quantum leap", moving from HP-41cx toward HP Prime. I haven't used HP 50 and PRL.

Trust me, now that you have a Prime you probably don't want to use a 50g. Once you use a 50g, it's hard to use anything else. I started off with a 28S back in 1989 and progressed to a 48GX, 50g and then purchased a couple Primes last summer for my kids' educational needs. Nothing beats the Prime for graphing speed or beauty and its CAS is great. But for all else, I still like the 50g. I use the 48GX (128k FRAM card with Meta Kernel) at the office.

[Ciro Bruno]

(01-17-2019 12:22 AM)JDW Wrote:  

(01-16-2019 01:50 PM)Ciro Bruno Wrote:  I've been through a "quantum leap", moving from HP-41cx toward HP Prime. I haven't used HP 50 and PRL.

Trust me, now that you have a Prime you probably don't want to use a 50g. Once you use a 50g, it's hard to use anything else. I started off with a 28S back in 1989 and progressed to a 48GX, 50g and then purchased a couple Primes last summer for my kids' educational needs. Nothing beats the Prime for graphing speed or beauty and its CAS is great. But for all else, I still like the 50g. I use the 48GX (128k FRAM card with Meta Kernel) at the office.

I believe you. During the first two days with Prime, I've been doing all arithmetics in RPN mode. But I've been soon convinced that it would never pay back that way...

I'm sure I'm not able to discuss about RPL. But I'm pretty sure HP PPL is powerfull enough to take advantage of all resources available in HP Prime. That's why I bet on trying to get used to it. That's a matter of evolution. We invest some time on practicing and then move forward.

Best regards,
Ciro.

[informach]

Hi !, Ciro_Bruno:
He also receives congratulations from me. I have seen the PLCs in the oil fields, but programmed in binary. The HP PRIME GRAPHING CALCULATOR calculator is actually an microcomputer of 5a. generation and it is certain that it was conceived basically following the very well applied instructions of the Pascal Language. I believe that soon, the creators of the hardware and software of the same, will launch the instructions for a real programming, counting for now, with the help of Tim, Cyrille, Eddie Shore and others. I send you a great greeting and go ahead with HP, who is in world space (by NASA), circulating the Earth, with the Zbook and HP printers to work without gravity.
Kind Regards.
informach.
Note : I'm Provost, as ID Maké, in HP Spanish Forum, Since March 3, 2015 and Distinguished Professor Since February 17, 2015. in HP English Forum and too, in HP Calculators Forum.

[15-lennyphelan]

This is an old thread I know but my 50g is my favorite calculator and I'm surprised that few people here seem to agree. I'm an engineering student and the filesystem is my favorite feature of this calc. I take a given homework assignment, make a new folder (the documentation is very stern about calling them directories), and write a handful of RPL 1 liner programs into it. The programs show up right on the hotkeys, I enter data a, space, data b, space, data c, then wham bam thank you ma'am hit the hotkey bob's your uncle here's your answer. I like the prime but I find that I feel like I'm pointlessly pressing buttons over and over again. As you grow proficient with the 50g you'll appreciate the painstaking effort HPers really seem to have put into distilling out every extraneous button press. Only thing is I find myself taking notes on it like the order that arguments are loaded into the stack for a definite integral or something.

Interesting how the HP 48 was lauded for introducing the equation writer because it's basically useless compared to what the 50g CAS is capable of right on the stack. I can whip complicated equations into being just by piecing together unevaluated variables in seconds, then I can store it right into a program with the somewhat strange DEF command. The prime feels very awkward in comparison.

[edryer]

The 50G is the finest mathematical platform on the planet, even with its quirky UI, there are at least four ways to enter matrices/vectors for example (going all the way back I assume to the limited 28 series way of entering them), and for linear algebra it has no equal, with its heritage of libraries 28/48/49 it is superb.

I also use an TI NSpire CX CAS, but always find myself going back to the 50G, the CX is a fine (very underrated in my opinion) platform but the ultimate flexibility of the 50G beats it (and every other handheld) hands down.

The Prime (like the CX) are great educational tools though.

PS. Don't want to get into a 50g/Prime war..... everything imho!

[JDW]

(12-03-2020 01:48 AM)15-lennyphelan Wrote:  This is an old thread I know but my 50g is my favorite calculator and I'm surprised that few people here seem to agree.

You are aware this sub-forum is a part of the "HP Prime" sub-forum, right? That matters. More pro-Prime folks will be active in the HP Prime sub-forum. The General forum will probably show more people making positive comments about the 50g.

Regardless, I see far, far more positive comments about the 50g than the Prime, and sometimes those comments aren't even fully justified. The Prime isn't a bad calculator when you look at it from a student's standpoint. I personally think the 50g is better in many ways, although not in terms of sheer speed though. Speed does matter. Color is nice, but the display on the Prime is really sub-par. Viewing angles are bad and it has a gritty look next to an iPhone. But the touch screen is great, especially when rotating 3D graphs. You can't do that on a 50g.

My first calculator was a 28S purchased new in 1989 when I started engineering school. I went on to get my EE degree. That 28S really helped. So for that reason I feel the 50g is more natural and enjoyable for me to use than the Prime.

Lastly, if you are active on any of the HP Calculator FaceBook groups, you will see far more positive comments about the 50g than the Prime.

[edryer]

Quote:My first calculator was a 28S

OK, my last post made an error, the finest math platform is the 50G, however the finest machine is the 28S!
I use the 28S daily and find it the most productive machine for me.

The entire RPL philosophy is what I find so enticing, but I can understand some feeling it a bit intimidating at first use.

The company ethos was different then... as were the Calculators.

[JDW]

(12-03-2020 02:02 AM)edryer Wrote:  OK, my last post made an error, the finest math platform is the 50G, however the finest machine is the 28S!
I use the 28S daily and find it the most productive machine for me.

I definitely concur. And that's why I am really surprised the 28S doesn't get more love. It's a superb calculator. By the way, I made a YouTube video reviewing the Prime, but in that video I show my 28S and other calculators too.

[grsbanks]

(12-03-2020 02:05 AM)JDW Wrote:  I definitely concur. And that's why I am really surprised the 28S doesn't get more love.

The biggest problem with the 28S is its fragility, particularly around the battery door.

But otherwise, yeah, I agree that it's a great machine. It was my entry into RPL and for that alone I find it very nostalgic.

[Jonathan Cameron]

(12-03-2020 01:57 AM)JDW Wrote:  

(12-03-2020 01:48 AM)15-lennyphelan Wrote:  This is an old thread I know but my 50g is my favorite calculator and I'm surprised that few people here seem to agree.

My first calculator was a 28S purchased new in 1989 when I started engineering school.

Although my first HP was the HP-67, I also bought a 28s when I went back to school in the late 80s. I loved it! And I would probably still use it if it was not for the battery compartment door problem. So these days I'm using the the WP-31s, the Prime, and the Free42 on my cell. Debating whether to get one of the new Swiss Micros.

[CMarangon]

HP50, of course.

HP Prime runned out of the traditional line of hp calculators "HP48 series and of HP calculators" tradition!

[CyberAngel]

(12-01-2018 12:48 PM)CyberAngel Wrote:  

(11-30-2018 01:45 PM)edryer Wrote:  I have used both. RPN is an afterthought on the Prime and this of course was intentional.

Coupled with the flexibility of RPL it is a solid math platform (less so for stats but still respectable). Yes, RPL is not easy, but Math also is not easy, you put the effort in and reap the rewards.

The Prime seems like an educational platform like the n-spire, classpad and similar. Flashy colour screen, easy to use (idiot proof) and geared towards the classoom, with a rechargeable battery to make it snazzy (also likely consumes a lot more power of course than the 50G).

After a few days with the Prime I gave up and returned it.

Yes it was faster, but in 99%+ cases this simply isn't noticeable in practice or indeed needed.

Just my opinion!

I finally took time and learned the HP Prime in summer 2018.
I should use TI Nspire CX CAS in Physics
(I'm going Adult High School for entering a university again)
but it was too complicated and I'm back using the HP Prime.
To me TI is trash.

I got in- the Math exam gave me the last needed laudatur in Finland for the new entrance by solely based on grades way - ½ year of studies behind - partly thanks to the HP Prime!
I gives my thanks to Bernard, Cyrille, and Tim (in alphabetic or age order) and to the company also helped me with great tools through all my studies (and some work projects, too): HP

[ramon_ea1gth]

As a User-RPL fan, I would like to add my positive feedback about the HP-Prime. Yes, I know this sounds contradictory. But here it is my experience.

I like radio and wireless technologies (RF technologies) and it is part of my job. So sometimes I need to dedicate time to check things with some sheets of paper, a ball pen and doing some graphs and numbers with, maybe, a relaxing background music. Radio (wireless tech) has much magic that is understood when you take your time. For this quality time, using the personal computer is not the point: no distractions and Internet a few meters away of my hand.

Lately I have been working both with the HP Prime and the HP 50g. I know this sounds like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. On the one hand my fingers know how to reach blindly each key and menu of the HP 50g, and I remember by hearth most of the RPL instructions from my HP 48g time. On the other hand I am still doing myself to the Prime and thinking about ways of customizing it to my preferences. But the set of instructions shares many similarities in both machines, so this is an advantage.

Recently I have been creating Smith Chart outlines (check this: it is a cool diagram) with the HP 50g with the parametric plotting. They looked retro-cool on the B/W display. But no comparison with the resolution, colourful results and speed achieved with the HP-Prime to generate the graphs: saving them with Afiles turned to be handy as a background for the following graphs.

In the end, while working with complex numbers (phasors) and checking formulae, I ended up with a nice user-RPL set of programs in the HP-50g. But while preparing input forms in the HP 50g, switching flags for the different graphs, creating subprograms to be called or copying and pasting, I found myself saying several times: ‘I did this in a more ordered way in the Prime’ or ‘the HP 50g is taking much time for some graphs, despite all the simplifications done and I don’t want to open the computer’.

I am discussing the use of HP-Prime with a colleague in charge of teaching math at degree level and there are some more coffees we intend to have about this. I believe that a powerful calculator can be the right tool to stay on focus while assimilating some advanced concepts. Of course, this does not discard at all the specific software we use for antenna design or for coverage calculations, to cite some examples, which are the right tools for those specific purposes.

But in my opinion, the Prime has enough power and flexibility to satisfy many advanced tasks as a handheld device. And I see the soul of the HP 48-50g series inside… although not with the RPN/RPL as the core philosophy, of course! I wish that the developers will continue refining the Prime with the dedication they have delivered to the previous projects since the HP 48 times.

[Neve]

(12-03-2020 01:48 AM)15-lennyphelan Wrote:  This is an old thread I know but my 50g is my favorite calculator and I'm surprised that few people here seem to agree.
.....The prime feels very awkward in comparison.

I agree with you 100%. I never liked the Prime, and probably never ever will. I returned mine a few days after I bought it.
I wished HP had a more powerful true RPN/RPL calculator alongside that “thing”, albeit it’s visually appealing.
I use my HP41CX and CL for just about everything. Sometimes I’ll take the 50g.

Even Swiss-Micro has awesome/more modern RPN calculators. So why is HP falling behind? They just gave up instead of developing the market and the user base...

[lmamakos]

(01-05-2021 06:24 AM)Neve Wrote:  

(12-03-2020 01:48 AM)15-lennyphelan Wrote:  This is an old thread I know but my 50g is my favorite calculator and I'm surprised that few people here seem to agree.
.....The prime feels very awkward in comparison.

I agree with you 100%. I never liked the Prime, and probably never ever will. I returned mine a few days after I bought it.
I wished HP had a more powerful true RPN/RPL calculator alongside that “thing”, albeit it’s visually appealing.
I use my HP41CX and CL for just about everything. Sometimes I’ll take the 50g.

Even Swiss-Micro has awesome/more modern RPN calculators. So why is HP falling behind? They just gave up instead of developing the market and the user base...

I've had an HP 16C for a long while, and an HP 48G. Recently, I discovered newRPL and slammed that on an HP 39gs and HP40gs via eBay. Given how difficult it was to acquire those (and an HP 50g) at a reasonable cost, I bought an HP Prime G2 in anticipation of a port of newRPL to it, and to play around a bit with the python provided.

I have to say, I'm a little disappointed at how (not) easy the python seems to be able to be used, and lack of obvious documentation. I had hoped that aspect would be useful enough to compensate for the diminished RPN experience as compared to my 48G (and now, newRPL) calculators. So I think the Prime G2 will sit in a drawer for some a future opportunity..

Meanwhile, as HP 50g devices seem difficult and expensive to source, I picked up a few used (used) HP 39gs devices from China that I'm expecting to arrive soon for spares and Christmas gifts for a few likeminded friends of mine.

As a practical matter, these are all overkill for my modest needs, but the newRPL on 39gs/40gs user-experience approaches "close enough" to the 48G that I'm happy enough. Related project now is to co-opt some time on my wife's Cricut cutter to make some keyboard overlays...

[Han]

My first HP calculator was the HP48G and a few weeks later I gave it to my sister and asked my dad for an HP48GX. I was in 10th grade and graphing calculators were just starting to become more frequently used in my Calculus class. So I made the excuse that my sister needed one and was willing to "sacrifice" by giving mine up while I waited for the GX to be restocked.



To this day, the original 48 series is my favorite, as evidenced above. The 50G would have been top choice for me had they kept the form factor, keys placement, and aesthetics of the 48GX. As for the Prime, it is actually my favorite programming calculator. For everyday use, nothing beats a good RPL/RPN calculator. But I have to admit that I sighed in relief when I learned that the Prime's programming language was not RPL. HPPPL is not only fast on the Prime, but reading the code and making sense of it is much easier than trying to parse someone's stack commands in an RPL program. Add to this the amazing graphing speed, and I can see why the HP Prime would be a fantastic tool for education. I think too many people were hoping to see a new iteration of the 48/49/50 series and too quickly dismiss the Prime for its focus on the education market.

[OlidaBel]

(07-23-2018 01:52 PM)JDW Wrote:  Ah, the good old days of 700 page manuals that USED TO BE included with electronic devices! Those were the days! But I also embrace today's tech too. If I need to look up something fast, I'll do a search through the PDF version. But if I want to sit down for an hour and read page after page of a manual, I want print on paper.

I totally agree on this. I could see on your channel you are 3 year younger than me, we had the chance to discover and use these fantastic HP machines.
The good old days (as a teenager) reading manuals of HP11C (what is that? a "stack"?!), HP15C ("solve"? waw), HP28C ("too few memory"! ), HP28S (amazing), HP48GX. All manuals were full with examples, sketches, with a smooth learning curve, thanks to many scientific and programmation examples.
HP manuals were more than a reference, they were taking care of their (young) clients (soon fans).
I probably start enjoying programming scripts when a I discovered it on HP11C and later stronger on 28S and 48GX ;-). Good old days memories difficult to share today, or maybe here :-)