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Marco Polo · 01-04-2018, 09:10 PM

I use daily a 50g for my job.
As it is discontinued and the currently marketed alternative (Prime) seems not suitable to my needs, I am managing to acquire a backup unit.
I found a brand new 50g still sealed sold by an HP reseller and a used-almost-mint 49g+ sold by a private.
The 50g might be from one of the latest batches produced and the price is affordable to me and lower than found on TAS or any online shop (about 190 eur)
The 49g+ has serial 505xxxxx and costs about one half of the 50g.
I don't need serial port but I prefer the 50g color scheme appearance.
In case I should get the 50g I will open the package to run self tests and check the keyboard, then remove batteries and store for future needs.
I case i should get the 49g+ I will store the my 50g and use daily the 49g+

Any advice?
How bad can be the 49g+ keyboard?
Is its color scheme hard to read?

Thanks In advance

Marco Polo

Maximilian Hohmann · 01-04-2018, 09:52 PM

Hello!

If you are used to the 50G and comfortable with it then stick with it. There have always been plenty of them on eBay and the supply should last for years to come. I watched quite a few of them (actually I am watchting every HP calculator on eBay in Germany) lately and many sold for about 50 Euros. There are much less 49G+ units than 50G coming up for sale. Actually my collection is still missing a 49G+ and I would be prepared to pay a lot more for one than for a 50...

Regards
Max

**rprosperi** · 01-04-2018, 11:01 PM

(01-04-2018 09:52 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote: There are much less 49G+ units than 50G coming up for sale. Actually my collection is still missing a 49G+ and I would be prepared to pay a lot more for one than for a 50...

I don't follow eBay Germany, but the 49G+ units come up fairly often on eBay.com, typically much cheaper than a 50g.

Here is one with bidding starting at $9.99 and shipping to Germany is $24.50. It is not in Mint condition, but serves to show they are cheaply available.

That said, I agree a 50g feels better, but legibility (color scheme) is at least as good (most, but not all, find it better), and for far less than half the price, it should be considered.

DavidM · 01-04-2018, 11:57 PM

(01-04-2018 09:10 PM)Marco Polo Wrote: I use daily a 50g for my job.
...
Any advice?

If you are using a 50g daily, then I would be reluctant to recommend a 49g+. My 49g+ has had much less use than my 50g, but there's already a couple of keys starting to have problems on it. I just don't think they were constructed as well.

Additionally for me, the ability to power the 50g via a USB cable is nice. The 49g+ doesn't share that feature.

(01-04-2018 09:10 PM)Marco Polo Wrote: How bad can be the 49g+ keyboard?

That's probably subjective, and I've also heard that some of the very late 49g+ models had better keyboards than the original ones. Having one of each, though, I would stick with the 50g if I was needing to replace mine. I feel like there's enough difference to avoid the 49g+ for a system that you will use daily.

grsbanks · 01-05-2018, 07:03 AM

(01-04-2018 11:57 PM)DavidM Wrote: Additionally for me, the ability to power the 50g via a USB cable is nice. The 49g+ doesn't share that feature.

Does the USB port actually power the 50g? I never knew that. You learn something new every day...

pier4r · 01-05-2018, 08:02 AM

Woah I didn't know that the 49g+ couldn't be fed via USB. Yes the 50g can work only with the USB. As a matter of fact I have only the backup battery and the 50g is permanently connected via usb

**Gene** · 01-05-2018, 01:46 PM

Get a 50g. No need to take a chance with a bad 49g+ keyboard.

I remember finding out within 30 seconds of getting a pre-release 49g+ that you could click a key and not have the keystroke recorded.

Don't take a chance. Get a 50g.

Carsen · (This post was last modified: 01-05-2018 11:51 PM by Carsen.)

I also support the decision of getting a new HP 50g to act as a spare. I actually have a new 50g in storage as a spare myself.

As soon as I got my new HP 50g, I cut the tab on the top of the package off and peeled about 1/3 of the back open. I worked all of the materials out of the package and removed all of the batteries that were in the package because they could leak acid in storage. Then I proceeded to check what version the calculator had, if I had the Equation Library, Periodic Table, testing the "feel" of every key, & running its self-tests. Then I put everything back in its package and stored it. No dust or harm has befell it. Its package is working really well protecting the calculator and it has been more than 1 year.

DavidM is right about the 50g's ability to power itself when its plug in via USB port. I found that out when I had a low battery indicator of my 50g disappear when I plug it into my computer. I find that it is useful when writing long programs on the machine manually

Actually, my spare is better than the one I'm using right now in terms of build. I am very pleased with my past decision.

grsbanks · 01-06-2018, 02:07 AM

(01-05-2018 11:50 PM)Carsen Wrote: I find that it is useful when writing long programs on the machine manually

Do you not find it easier to write long programs in ASCII using a text editor, then to transfer the file in ASCII mode to the HP 50g using the ConnKit?

pier4r · 01-06-2018, 10:57 AM

(01-05-2018 11:50 PM)Carsen Wrote: I find that it is useful when writing long programs on the machine manually

What about writing them on the pc, in notepad++, and then save them on the calculator?

Unless you are comfy on the couch with a usb charger. In that case, you have only the calculator.

Maximilian Hohmann · 01-06-2018, 01:08 PM

Hello!

(01-04-2018 11:01 PM)rprosperi Wrote: I don't follow eBay Germany, but the 49G+ units come up fairly often on eBay.com, typically much cheaper than a 50g.

Here is one with bidding starting at $9.99 and shipping to Germany is $24.50. It is not in Mint condition, but serves to show they are cheaply available.

Thanks for the link, another gap in my collection closed :-) (got it for the start price as nobody else was bidding). Not that I really intend to use it, I don't use the 50g much either. RPL is really not my thing.

Regards
Max

**rprosperi** · 01-06-2018, 02:27 PM

(01-06-2018 01:08 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote: Thanks for the link, another gap in my collection closed :-) (got it for the start price as nobody else was bidding). Not that I really intend to use it, I don't use the 50g much either. RPL is really not my thing.

Regards
Max

Glad you got it Max. My comments recommending it were intended for collecting, or as a 50g substitute only if on a strict budget.

I have 2 49G+, apparently from very late production, that feel (keyboard) as good as a 50g, but the other deficiencies remain.

In general I agree, always get a 50g for use, as you can't tell which type 49G+ (early with bad keys or late with good keys) you may get from an auction listing, as I am not aware of any reliable serial number demarcation.

John Smitherman · 01-06-2018, 05:09 PM

The original 49+ keys were substandard. However, I have a later model 49+ with s/n CNA53402256 that has much improved keys. I hope this helps.

Regards,

John

Carsen · 01-06-2018, 09:23 PM

(01-06-2018 02:07 AM)grsbanks Wrote:
(01-05-2018 11:50 PM)Carsen Wrote: I find that it is useful when writing long programs on the machine manually

Do you not find it easier to write long programs in ASCII using a text editor, then to transfer the file in ASCII mode to the HP 50g using the ConnKit?

I don't know. Never tried it before.

(01-06-2018 10:57 AM)pier4r Wrote:
(01-05-2018 11:50 PM)Carsen Wrote: I find that it is useful when writing long programs on the machine manually

What about writing them on the pc, in notepad++, and then save them on the calculator?

Unless you are comfy on the couch with a usb charger. In that case, you have only the calculator.

I do not know as I also have I never tried this method before.

cjmcc · 01-06-2018, 09:56 PM

(01-06-2018 02:27 PM)rprosperi Wrote: ... I have 2 49G+, apparently from very late production, that feel (keyboard) as good as a 50g, but the other deficiencies remain. ...

I know there is a big difference in early/late HP49G+ key quality, the 3-AA batteries probably provide a shorter operating life, and you can't power the 49 from the USB cable. Any other major reasons to avoid that model?

pier4r · (This post was last modified: 01-06-2018 10:15 PM by pier4r.)

(01-06-2018 09:23 PM)Carsen Wrote: I do not know as I also have I never tried this method before.

Then I suggest it to you (and everyone).

- Notepad++ (plus notepad++ userRPL syntax, your find it here: http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-9090.html or here https://app.assembla.com/spaces/various-.../notepad++ )
- the 50g AUR to see how to write digraphs , see appendix J.
- connect4x

you write your code, then you connect the calculator with connect 4x, you create a variable (you can send commands to the calculator, so your can say 0 'progName' STO ). Then refresh. Then edit progName as text. Copy the text from notepad++ (between \<< and \>> ) to the file. Close the file. See connect4x upload it. Disconnect connect4x. Use the program on the calculator.

**rprosperi** · 01-07-2018, 12:13 AM

(01-06-2018 09:56 PM)cjmcc Wrote: I know there is a big difference in early/late HP49G+ key quality, the 3-AA batteries probably provide a shorter operating life, and you can't power the 49 from the USB cable. Any other major reasons to avoid that model?

Those were the deficiencies I was referring to. People frequently also report that the 49g+ is slower than the 50g; this is not true for the 49g+, but it is correct for the 48gII (as lower/earlier versions with similar color schemes, they are often confused). I've also seen claims that the 49g+ cannot be flash-updated; this too is not correct for 49g+. The 49g+ in fact uses the same ROM image as the 50g.

Marco Polo · 01-07-2018, 03:12 PM

Thanks to all of you for your suggestion and opinion.
As a matter of fact I also have an almost mint 48gx with 128kb and 1mb ram cards but I am reluctant to use because of its smaller screen and reduced speed compared to the 50g.
Before getting the spare 50g I have one more question: can the Prime handle Units of Measure in equations and in solver as the 48/50 series? I tried with the emulator but could not find a way....

Eddie W. Shore · 01-07-2018, 03:25 PM

I vote for the 50g. The 49g+ had keyboard problems early in its production cycle.

Marco Polo · 01-19-2018, 07:09 AM

Just to close the thread.
I found a good 50g on Amazon for about 100 Eur.
It was described as "used, refurbished".
The calc i received was presumably a NOS: serial is CNA62XX (mine is CNA7xx) and the only flaw is the package: original and sealed but slightly deteriorated.
The calculation is ok and still smells of 'new'.
Thank you for you opinions and suggestions.