Paging all calculator geeks - I need to replace my HP 48G and RPN is required
July 4, 2010 6:23 AM Subscribe
Calculator geeks! Replacing an HP 48G+? RPN required.
My twelve year old HP 48G+ has gotten me through two Masters degrees and lots of trades, but is starting to show signs of age (one key is misfiring, another one not registering at all, fortunately both used infrequently).
I use it constantly and its been banged about a great deal in the bottom of my backpack, so money well spent. But since HP discontinued the line what's everyone buying these days? RPN is a necessity, as infix and all those parenthesis just confuse me.
Used is ok, and I have located a few at acceptable price points on eBay and Amazon.co.uk, but HP is currently selling the 48G - so has anyone used this model at all?
And are the making them like they used to? I really don't want to be replacing this calculator again a year or so from now. The old HP made amazing calculators, my twenty year old 12C is still going strong, but it lives on a trading desk and has seen no real abuse by comparison to the 48G+.
How about it? Good build quality, extensive functionality and RPN all requirements.
My twelve year old HP 48G+ has gotten me through two Masters degrees and lots of trades, but is starting to show signs of age (one key is misfiring, another one not registering at all, fortunately both used infrequently).
I use it constantly and its been banged about a great deal in the bottom of my backpack, so money well spent. But since HP discontinued the line what's everyone buying these days? RPN is a necessity, as infix and all those parenthesis just confuse me.
Used is ok, and I have located a few at acceptable price points on eBay and Amazon.co.uk, but HP is currently selling the 48G - so has anyone used this model at all?
And are the making them like they used to? I really don't want to be replacing this calculator again a year or so from now. The old HP made amazing calculators, my twenty year old 12C is still going strong, but it lives on a trading desk and has seen no real abuse by comparison to the 48G+.
How about it? Good build quality, extensive functionality and RPN all requirements.
Best answer: The 50g is a good choice (and perhaps the only one?). It is backwards compatible with the 4-bit Saturn in the 48g/gx series, but underneath the covers is a ARM running a Saturn emulator; if you want speed you can write native code for it. They also fixed the keyboard design so it feels closer to "right" (where "right" is defined as "like a 48") than the horrible 49g keys. The addition of the SD card and USB make it easy to get data on and off the device.
My calculator is mostly unused these days, however. dc has replaced my RPN computing needs.
Alternatively, have you considered a nice sliderule? I'm partial to the K&E 4080-5.
posted by autopilot at 7:18 AM on July 4, 2010
My calculator is mostly unused these days, however. dc has replaced my RPN computing needs.
Alternatively, have you considered a nice sliderule? I'm partial to the K&E 4080-5.
posted by autopilot at 7:18 AM on July 4, 2010
Also, the 48g that you link to on Amazon.co.uk appears to be the same case and keyboard as the 49g+. According to wikipedia (which is never wrong), it is a scaled down version of the horrible 49g.
posted by autopilot at 7:24 AM on July 4, 2010
posted by autopilot at 7:24 AM on July 4, 2010
Best answer: Get another "vintage" 48. Actually, get two. HP's more recent offerings are not better. Old 48 models are currently cheap on ebay. LOTS of people bought them for a college class and they've seen virtually no use since then.
Like the 32sii (which I think is the best calculator for working in fractions or other number bases) I'm betting the 48 models will skyrocket in another decade as they become rarer.
I suspect that nearly all the RPN calculators that will ever exist on the planet exist today. Get a spare or two if you depend on them.
posted by fritley at 8:58 AM on July 4, 2010
Like the 32sii (which I think is the best calculator for working in fractions or other number bases) I'm betting the 48 models will skyrocket in another decade as they become rarer.
I suspect that nearly all the RPN calculators that will ever exist on the planet exist today. Get a spare or two if you depend on them.
posted by fritley at 8:58 AM on July 4, 2010
I still enjoy my HP48.
While an emulator does not come in as handy as a real calculator, I sometimes use the HP48 on my computer.
HP emulators
HP emulators
Linux HP48
You need a ROM image. The image was released to public for free by HP some years ago.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 9:18 AM on July 4, 2010
While an emulator does not come in as handy as a real calculator, I sometimes use the HP48 on my computer.
HP emulators
HP emulators
Linux HP48
You need a ROM image. The image was released to public for free by HP some years ago.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 9:18 AM on July 4, 2010
Best answer: If graphing functions aren't absolutely needed, I can heartily recommend the 35S scientific. The big enter key is back, and the keys have decent tactile feedback when pressed.
posted by hwyengr at 10:49 AM on July 4, 2010
posted by hwyengr at 10:49 AM on July 4, 2010
Best answer: I also bought and tried a 35S. They did get the keyboard right! If you are used to the 48's RPL though, the older RPN style with only four stack entries and the differences in how Enter/DUP work will throw you for a while.
My problems with the 35S are the font is ugly and the decimal point is a little hard to spot, and often the first key pressed after Enter is missed - if you watch the display it will sometimes pause after you press Enter. If you type the next number during this time, it's missed. I've learned to always pause after Enter, which is a slight irritation but tolerable. (I have an early model - perhaps they fixed this.) Working in alternate number bases is completely unusable on the 35S; if you ever need to add hex numbers etc, don't buy it. I don't know what they were thinking.
Owning both I still think the 48 is a superior calculator - and you can probably buy it cheaper than the $50 35S.
If you feel you must buy a new calculator though, I think the 35S is the one to try if you don't need to work in alternate bases.
posted by fritley at 1:58 PM on July 4, 2010
My problems with the 35S are the font is ugly and the decimal point is a little hard to spot, and often the first key pressed after Enter is missed - if you watch the display it will sometimes pause after you press Enter. If you type the next number during this time, it's missed. I've learned to always pause after Enter, which is a slight irritation but tolerable. (I have an early model - perhaps they fixed this.) Working in alternate number bases is completely unusable on the 35S; if you ever need to add hex numbers etc, don't buy it. I don't know what they were thinking.
Owning both I still think the 48 is a superior calculator - and you can probably buy it cheaper than the $50 35S.
If you feel you must buy a new calculator though, I think the 35S is the one to try if you don't need to work in alternate bases.
posted by fritley at 1:58 PM on July 4, 2010
While I don't recommend them for heavy use, I use a 48g via emulator on a touch screen device regularly. The touch part obviously bites, but having it with you always rules. Good, free emulators can be found in Apple's app store and Android's App Market.
Otherwise the new 35s and ebayed 48 are both worth getting.
posted by ggruschow at 3:18 PM on July 4, 2010
Otherwise the new 35s and ebayed 48 are both worth getting.
posted by ggruschow at 3:18 PM on July 4, 2010
I can nth the 35s now, too - my 32sII did just give up the ghost.
posted by scruss at 1:36 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by scruss at 1:36 PM on August 11, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I don't know what I'll do when my 32sII gives up the ghost.
posted by scruss at 6:53 AM on July 4, 2010