Decent calculator with good keys? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: John Coloccia
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 12:26:47 am
content: Does anyone make a decent calculator anymore, preferably with decent feeling keys? For reference, my workhorse for a while has been a Casio FX991s. I've basically worn it out. I don't need anything too fancy. Some constants would be nice. Obviously good trig and log functions. Most important is no stupid gimmicks or quirks that I have to constantly fight. I don't program them...I don't do any stupid graphs...I just use it to calculate.Is the HP35s any good? Should I look elsewhere? I heard that the 35s is pretty sluggish.Anyhow, just wondering where to look at this point.Thanks!

author: Maxlor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 12:44:38 am
content: The HP 35s is pretty nice. It feels solid. When people say it's sluggish, they probably refer to the speed at which it executes your programs? Since you don't do that, it's not an issue.There is one annoyance with the 35s, it always displays the mantissa at full resolution, which means that if your exponent is larger than two digits, you need to scroll horizontally to fully see it. There's a tiny right-arrow announciator to point that out, but it's easy to miss. I wish it used the same logic there as older HP calcs and reduce the precision of the displayed mantissa so the exponent is always displayed in full.This misfeature in the 35s and its more bulky size means the HP32sii is my favorite of them all. They're not cheap these days though.Outside of the HP range, I like my TI-30X Pro. If you've used Casios before, you'll probably feel comfortable with that one as well. There are a couple of issues (it's not programmable... that's a nogo point for some. I like that they have explanations for the unit menu, but it's not implemented well, what with it not remembering your position in the extensive list when switching between unit and explanation,) but they're rather minor. And I really like the double-tap system (e.g. to get arcsin you just press the "sin" button twice... no need for shift).Build quality of the TI-30X Pro is quite ab it better than the Casios. Is it better than the 35s? Meh, it just feels different. It's quite solid. It's a matter of personal preference I think.

author: cimmo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 12:45:20 am
content: Maybenotthis?

author: mathsquid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 01:02:49 am
content: I have a lot of scientific and graphing calculators. For just general stuff with no graphing, I'd recommend...1. a Casio fx-115es Plus if you want a 2-line calculator. It can do some limited pretty printing and numerical calculus (though it's horribly slow).2. a TI-30Xa if you want a single-line calculator. (edit: This calc is visible in my avatar.)Both have great keys.

author: HP-ILnerd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 07:56:58 am
content: The HP-35 is probably the best calculator in production. I note you can still get one of the limited edition re-release HP-15's new-in-box on eBay for rather a lot of pesos. Functionally vastly superior to the 35.Still baffles me why HP, who happen to happen to have the microcode to the greatest calculators ever made, don't just flash a micro into being a 42, make an appropriate body and sell that. That's pretty much all modern calculators are anyway. There are plenty of people who "just use it to calculate" as you say. Why keep making designs that seem a step back?

author: meeder
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 08:25:30 am
content: The Casio FX-570 is also a good calculator. It has been abused quite a bit by me including an accidental drop in water. Construction is good.

author: John Coloccia
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 09:43:16 am
content: Well, I'm off to my local office supply store this morning to go check a couple out. I wish they would bring back the 15C too. I'm kicking myself for not buying one when I had the chance. If I comes back I'll buy one. As it is, I decided that the 35s is just way too big. I have this thing on my desk all the time. It needs to be pretty small. That's why I really like the Casio I currently have. It's also intuitive to enter things in scientific notation. It's just that the keys are so worn out that it misses presses all the time now.I'm actually almost leaning towards another Casio. I'd really prefer a TI. I have a pocket size TI here and it's very pleasant to use. The new TI calculators are all enormous and thick, with all these strange curves and things. My old Casio is nice and thin, and normal.

author: Kintekobo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 01:14:05 pm
content: A chap in Poland is selling new HP35s for £18 including shipping. I have one on the way, should arrive any day ( I hope ). He has excellent feedback and the tracking shows it leaving Poland via tracked mail, so it should be OK. Here is the link if anyone is interested.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121613545244

author: John Coloccia
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 02:10:55 pm
content: I ended up with the TI-30Xa. I really wanted a Casio, very similar to what I currently have, but it's solar powered only.One step up had a battery, but was much bigger. The 30Xpro was nice, but again, it was very large. This thing has to sit in my desk and not be in the way.The 30Xa is nice. There aren't a lot of gimmicks. I mean seriously, I can remember 25.4 so I don't need functions to convert back and forth from metric. I'm a little disappointed that once again, I don't have a nice RPN calculator. I really wish HP would bring back their scientific calculator. The 35s just really didn't do it for me at all. Again, it's just enormous. Don't they realize that engineers work at crowded desks? Maybe they're just making these things for students?Anyhow, thanks everyone! I can't believe I only paid $10 for this thing.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 09:04:19 pm
content: Welcome to the TI-30 world! I have this one on my desk all the time:

author: Jeroen3
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 09:29:16 pm
content: I was very pleased with my Ti-84, but the latest update made it slow. I've used an Ti-NSpire CX the last year of my bachelors, does the job. But has a poor battery life and should really have been an App on your phone.I still have the Ti-84 on my desk as quick calculator. The Nspire is always empty when I need it, and has this annoying feature of thinking that sometimes you want an exact answer, and sometimes approximate answer. But it also does hex and bin, which is nice.Yes, I know above are all expensive, but these are legacy from college times. Now they are no longer allowed since they feature algebra tools.For good keys, go with the ti-84.Also, for "excellent" calculator reviews, consult this youtube channel:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5AfwLFPxWKAINNfxIdYmFVKuk_F_cQq

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 11:46:00 pm
content: EEs in the somewhat recent past spent lots of time, care, and $$ selecting the slide rule that worked best for them. Forward some time and EEs spent some time carefully selecting a calculator that worked best for them in their job(s) and HP was the usual winner. Come to current time and I'm not sure I would buy my (beloved) HP 32ii starting out today as one can download a PC emulation of many fine past classic calculator and work it with their mouse.I suspect the overall calculator market has shrunk a whole lot over time as demand volume shrunk. I'm sure TI would have left the field by now if not their SAT approval for test taking. I have a friend that works at a pawn shop and he said the only calculator they take for colladeral loans in the TI model(s) approved for SAT test taking, he said there is always some demand for them around SAT testing time at high schools.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 12:03:51 am
content: Quote from: retrolefty on August 19, 2015, 11:46:00 pmYou've nailed it. I have my Post Log-Log Dupli-Trig Slide rule, but have used it only a few times after I got a calculator (mostly in friendly competitions with other engineers to show that you could usually interpolate more significant digits on the slide rule than were necessary in real world calculations.) I have my HP-41CX, and other scientific calculators, but they are rarely used. At the desk they are slower and more limited than the computer sitting there, and have a limited interface. When I am away from the desk my smart phone has an HP-41 emulation that is more than good enough until I get to someplace where real computation is possible. The phone emulation isn't quite as nice as the calculator, but it isn't worth carrying the phone and a calculator.So the only solid market for scientific calculators is in artificial situations like the SAT where an arbitrary line has been drawn saying what is usable and acceptable.

author: TMM
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 06:45:50 am
content: Current favourite amongst engineering students seems to be the TI-36X Pro, worth a look. Keys aren't that great and construction is overall pretty cheap but otherwise it's well thought out.

author: netwinder
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 10:57:15 pm
content: Depends what you need it to do. If you want RPN for engineering mathematics and complex/intricate equations then the hp 35s is definitely a good calculator. It can be sluggish for more complex operations. Also programming. If you need to program a repetitive equation into your calculator, where all you need to do is enter various numbers into the stack and the program solves for X, then the hp 35s is perfect. It allows for multiple programs and has a large memory size.If you need graphing capabilities and still want RPN, go for the HP 50G. It is pricey, but worth it. If you want something absolutely ridiculous, absolutely powerful, go for the HP prime. I believe it has rpn (don't quote me on it) and it is a fantastic calculator. Thats if you need 20 unicorns crammed into a calculator. I do hear they use quite a bit of battery life.Overall i do hear both the 50G and Prime use a bit of battery, i have seen battery modifications for them though that allows for a larger rechargeable cell.If you want a fairly average calculator, that is similar to your Casio FX991s, i would pick up a Sharp EL-W516X. I had it for 2 years of high school maths, and it never let me down. It had all the bells and whistles (also an amazing screen, the write view screen is a godsend for some situations) also entering long fractions is simple too. Definitely an amazing calculator. However, RPN is alot more efficient then ALG, so that is why i made the switch.If you do belive in casio casio and casio then i would conceder either the fx-991EX or the fx-300ES PLUSI am a bit of a calculator fanatic, if i say so myself

author: Maxlor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 11:10:01 pm
content: I have an HP Prime and... thinking about it, it's probably the calculator I use most often, because of its CAS capabilities. Btw, there is a an official (as in, by HP!) emulator for android available, which is expensive for an app, but much cheaper than the real calculator.The limited battery is a non-issue for me, since it uses a MicroUSB connector for charging. I have at least one phone charger on any desk I work at.I'm still not particularly fond of the keys though. They're extremely shallow, and have an audible "click" sound to them. Plus, the orange lettering is difficult to read in low light conditions.And once you've used it for graphing, there's no going back. It's fast enough for graphing to be just done instantly. It has a touch screen that lets you move and zoom the plot. Other calculators that take 5 seconds to draw just seem unbearably cumbersome now.

author: PA4TIM
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 11:35:21 pm
content: HP prime, HP-15 lim. edition, HP35s, HP-48, HP35Most used is the prime because the solver and the easy programming. Keys feel nice but are hard to read. I also have the simulator on my pc. This is the only calculator I do not use in RPN mode. I never use the graphing function.The 35s is the second most used for most normal calculation.I used the 48 alot before I had the prime. It is rather slow.

author: Godzil
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2015, 11:45:31 pm
content: I love my TI-89 and 92+, but if you want good keyboard feeling I would recommend the TI LCD Programmer:http://www.datamath.org/Sci/Slanted/Programmer-II.htmI have it and it's a nice piece of calculator (sorry Dave I will not send you this one)

author: John Coloccia
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2015, 01:40:21 am
content: BTW, in case anyone reads through that Datamath site and is wondering, I checked my new TI-30Xa and the logarithm problem appears to be fixed.

author: meeder
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2015, 06:41:57 am
content: Quote from: Godzil on August 20, 2015, 11:45:31 pmThe 92+ is a nice calculator. I have the Voyage 200 but sadly it suffers from the dreaded dead display columns.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2015, 06:49:07 am
content: +1 For HP 35s