From: clemon@lemsys.UUCP (Craig Lemon VE3XCL)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp48
Subject: Re: The "high price" of the HP48!
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 10:57:23 EST
 <PHR.92Dec25155736@napa.telebit.com> <1992Dec26.052935.17881@doug.cae.wisc.edu>
 <PHR.92Dec30220240@napa.telebit.com>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Private UUCP "Twig" Node
X-Newsreader: Arn V1.00

In article <PHR.92Dec30220240@napa.telebit.com>, Paul Rubin writes:

> In article <1992Dec26.052935.17881@doug.cae.wisc.edu> kolstad@cae.wisc.edu (Joel Kolstad) writes:
>    In article <PHR.92Dec25155736@napa.telebit.com> phr@telebit.com (Paul Rubin) writes:
>    >    I agree.  I do not understand those who buy the Casios and the TIs because
>    >    the 48 is just "too expensive".
>    >
>    >I felt that paying my rent was more important than having a fancy
>    >calculator.  
> 
>    Paying tuition for a four year public college is going to run you at least
>    $10,000.  Four year tuition at, say, MIT can easily run you $75,000.
> 
> Are you suggesting that since you're already facing crushing bills
> from tuition, you might as well drop another $200+ for a flashy
> calculator?  By that logic you might as well buy a house now,
> given what your rent payments are going to add up to over the
> next few decades.  Clearly you have no experience of the economic
> realities faced by most college students.  Most are more concerned
> with how they're going to pay for next week's groceries than
> whether their calculator can outcompute a Vax 780 or only a Vax 750.

        I am a University student (in case you can't tell by the .sig). 
I'm not rich.  I'm not the son of a major dignitary or world power (just
thought I'd clear that up :-).  The HP-48 is a _tool_ for your education. 
You require a good calculator (for engineering anyways).  I found it quite
worthwhile to purchase a GOOD calculator to replace my aging and broken
calc. I've been using through high school.  The HP line will last longer
than any other calc out there.  ie. in 5 years, your Sharp or TI might be
print 3 or 4 zeros when you hit the 0 button once, having trouble putting a
+ sign in your calculations, occasionally spontaneously resetting and
wiping out your memory.  The HP's have a longer lifetime and should last
right through University and out into the work force.  The 48's haven't
been around quite long enough but the other HP's have.  A good calculator s
part of your education costs.  Just because it can turn on your stereo in
the morning doesn't mean that's all you do with it.  Here in engineering
(especially electrical and computer), HP's are a majority by the upper
years.  I'm not saying you have to buy one but it IS for your education. 
If you don't buy an HP, chances are you'll have to buy another one before
you're done school anyways.  You are investing in your education when you
buy a calculator.  So you save $70 by not buying HP.  Is that a big deal in
the long run?

--
 Craig Lemon VE3XCL (Advanced) - Kitchener, Ontario. +1 519 741 0297
 clemon@lemsys.UUCP clemon%lemsys@xenitec.on.ca  | 1B Electrical Engineering
 TCP/IP: ve3xcl@ve3xcl.ampr.org [44.135.84.51]   |  University of Waterloo
 AX.25 Packet: ve3xcl@ve3euk.#SWON.ON.CAN.NA     | Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA