Favourite calculator design - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PStevenson
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 09:46:25 pm
content: I was just looking at my old 1990's casios (in the picture) and I just thought how much I love the way they look - they are definitely my favourite design - do any of you have favourite designs or is it just me that is this weird?

author: AG6QR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 10:02:34 pm
content: No contest, the HP16C is the best. Its siblings, the 15C, 11C, and 12C are good for their own application areas, and have the same basic size/shape. I own a trio: the 16C, 11C, and 12C, but the 16C is my favorite.I bought my HP16C in 1983 or 1984. It's on its third set of batteries, I believe. It's durable, a battery miser, a convenient size and shape. The keyboard has a nice feel. The operation is logical and straightforward. The back of the calculator has just the right useful hints printed on it.

author: Hydrawerk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 10:08:25 pm
content: For me it is Casio fx-5800P.

author: HP-ILnerd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 11:46:13 pm
content: Quote from: AG6QR on April 30, 2015, 10:02:34 pmThat's an interesting opinion! You must do a lot of close-to-the-metal digital stuff? I have a 16 and a 15, and for general purpose work, the 16 is almost useless: it's all bit-twiddling stuff--no scientific functions of any kind except square root on the keyboard. The 15, however is almost perfect. I say almost because of that peculiar CF 8 thing you have to go through to get it out of complex mode. I keep the 15 with my laptop so it goes where I go.Still love my 41's though, both visually and functionally, though they don't leave the house. I have a C,CV, and CX in near-mint and they are all kitted out. Also have the nice 41 emulator for my iPhone, which is just a spectacular thing.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2015, 11:53:25 pm
content: Quote from: Hydrawerk on April 30, 2015, 10:08:25 pmGot one last week from amazon. Programming is a pain. No computer interface. Changing batteries require a screwdriver. Not bad otherwise.

author: smjcuk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 12:39:14 pm
content: Got FX991-ES PLUS, 991 MS and 9750G here. The latter as of this week seems to get the most use. Its damn near perfect even if its 17 years old.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 01:54:07 pm
content: I have a HP 32S which I bought in 1987.It was perfect at the time. It is still perfect, and is in permanence on my desk where I use it regularly.Already nearly 30 years ago, I had come to the conclusion that it had reached a perfect form factor that could not be improved. You indeed need a keyboard, and a screen for the results. Although it has some programming possibilities, these are not what this calculator is good at.All calculators that were competing for improved programming have been obsolete a long time ago. Why this one (as some others of the same form factor) stand up over the ages, is the quality of the keyboard. The numerous scientific functions directly accessible, and the fact that the battery last forever. I dont even remember if I changed it twice in 28 years.Whenever I need more than a simple computation, I use my computer, where I have a very efficient computer algebra system, but for small computations, I take the calculator.If I need to draw a curve, I will use the computer, and I believe as well that all graphic calculators are obsolete, unless you have some tight requirements like in some high schools for exams.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 03:06:01 pm
content: i still have and use my Casio FX-5000F that i bought back in the late 80s, especially the 7 segment LCD numbers with dot matrix makes it easy to read the numerical displayhttp://mycalcdb.free.fr/main.php?l=0&id=400

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 03:44:41 pm
content: I for some reason have always liked how Sharp's dot-matrix screened calculators work, never really thought about the aesthetics though.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2015, 08:00:51 pm
content: As a schoolboy in 1975/76 I fell in love with the HP-65, not just the shape of the keys but the idea of storing my own programs on those magnetic cards. Unfortunately I only had a leaflet rather than a real machine but we can all dream.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 01:31:59 am
content: I love my HP35 & my HP45. I know they should be in the house somewhere...If you mean form factor, I like the HP35 and HP45 but a bit too large. HP25 is great but a bit short on keys. The HP16C size is probably best. As already said in another reply, it lacks math functions. It also lack programming.Ideal would be hp16 size, with math functions, statistic functions, with "engineering" and "scientific notation", ability to be programmed to do simple things (like repeating the evaluation of a simple formula with other parameters), SD card for storage, and dot matrix color display for plotting. I would even go with a mini-clamshell like a slightly shrink down HP200 with color display and the aforementioned goodies. Imagine HP16C in clam-shell configuration, that would be about right.(Seriously) An EE special edition of the above - kind of like a docking station but the same size clipped to the bottom: DMM capability, 9999counts at 0.5-1% accuracy, low end 10-20MHz scope to display captured wave form... say 50K points.That would be an all-in-one tool.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 03:45:46 am
content: I like this one

author: HP-ILnerd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 05:20:40 am
content: (emphasis mine)Quote from: Rick Law on May 03, 2015, 01:31:59 amIt isfestoonedwith programming: Note the R/S key GTO and GSB keys on the left, etc.The 16 is highly specialized, and is basically unparalleled in it's ability to do digital operations on the bit level. The programming was key to that functionality.It even does 1's complement, if you should need that and its negative zero weirdness for some reason.The thing about the 16 was the extremely niche market. If you need the bit-twiddling capability, it's amazing-- there's nothing like it. If you don't, it's not even casually useful.The 10 through 16 series shape is excellent if it's sitting on a desk, or on a paper you are writing on, because it hogs very little vertical space and keeps your hands free. The older general shape of HP calcs from the 35 through the 41 fit my hand better--nicer if I'm actually holding it.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 09:28:20 am
content: Mine was a TI SR-56 bought in 1977.First program I ever wrote was a counter on the calculator (whooo hooo!).Second program was these three numbers flashing upon the screen in sequence, viewed upside down to create a rude message for fellow engineering students:53I553861858008Today the best calculotor by far is RealCalc for Android.

author: Wytnucls
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 11:02:18 am
content: Hardware: HP-67Software: HP41CX android emulation (go41cx)

author: kwass
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 01:23:38 pm
content: Quote from: HP-ILnerd on May 03, 2015, 05:20:40 amI love the 16c and the other calculators in the HP Voyager series too. They are definitely my favorite HP calculator designs. With an name like HP-ILnerd, I'm sure you know about the WP34-S project, but others here might want to look into it as it does everything the 16c does and much, much, much more.http://sourceforge.net/projects/wp34s/?source=typ_redirectIf we're only discussing physical design, MoMA has a few Olivetti calculators in their collection. I have one of these:http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=3805. (The electrosenstive printing is pretty nifty to watch in a darkened room.)

author: gildasd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 02:07:14 pm
content: From a purely "style" aspect of design, the HP Prime.From a "doing pure algebra", the Casio Fx991es.From a "doing stuff in multiple bases, different modes, then putting it all together and be able to export stuff to a PC", the Ti CX Cas.

author: HP-ILnerd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 02:25:38 pm
content: Quote from: kwass on May 03, 2015, 01:23:38 pmYeah, the subject came up last year in the Programmable Calculators thread. Linux-Works actually built one:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/programmable-calculators!/msg410563/#msg410563

author: smjcuk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2015, 10:40:48 pm
content: Quote from: gildasd on May 03, 2015, 02:07:14 pmThose NSpires are an abomination. I had the CX CAS (clickpad one) and it stank.

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 12:50:43 am
content: I love my TI-89, a bit heavy.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 03:05:13 pm
content: For normal use, the HP91 series.For shirt-pocket portability, the HP11 series.For both models (I have two of each), the battery life is amazing.

author: hneve
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 06:10:03 pm
content: I was given a hp48gx from my father when I started technical school in Kongsberg for many years ago, it was a fine companion through my school days and also later, even though I never worked as a EE it has been a familiar calculator as I got used to the rpn way. Sadly it died some years ago, I have the app that resembles the 48 but I really miss the buttons, they were special, I knew where they were and I could use it without looking (of course I look at the answer, but you get it) I have tried to find a new or good looking replacement but not found any (within sensible price range)It's not so bad as it was mostly sentimental reason for keeping it as my father passed away 13 years ago.Today I'm happy enough with the app version, I'm still hung up on that rpn way.

author: Flump
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 06:55:53 pm
content: I have one of thesemy friend bought it when he did his engineering apprenticeshipand hes 72 now.

author: daneck
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 07:58:16 pm
content: Wimps!My favorites, which I used all through MIT undergraduate and graduate school, werePickett & Eckel Model 4-T Dual-Base Log Log Vector Hyperbolic (12", worn on belt)Keuffel & Esser 4181-1 (7", carried in shirt pocket)Both were Made in USA.Neither required batteries, just an occasional powdering.

author: gildasd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 09:57:47 pm
content: Quote from: smjcuk on May 03, 2015, 10:40:48 pmThe Nspire Clickpad was very rough around the edges - to put it mildly.I don't like it either. The follow up (Touchpad) was a massive improvement. The CX even more (but being so good takes power, so it need to be charged often).Even if I don't like the layout of Ti Nspire calculators, the way they works goes well with how I think things, so I get a lot done.Right now I use a Nspire Touchpad non CAS for university (it's the max we are allowed).The only niggle I have about it is that I tend to use the shift key all the time, probably because 3 or 4 extra direct access buttons are needed.As soon as I pass the last two math based exams (ship stability and mechanics) I'll be hacking it with a CAS OS.Having played with both, I prefer my old one over the CX mostly due to the BW screen that seems help me focus better.

author: AG6QR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 11:25:29 pm
content: Quote from: Rick Law on May 03, 2015, 01:31:59 amHP 15C is pretty close to what you're describing. At least until you started talking about SD cards, dot matrix color displays, etc. It is the same basic hardware as the 16C, but oriented toward scientific applications. A very nice machine, though my own usage patterns favored the 16C.My bias toward the HP 16C comes partly from the days when I did a lot of FORTRAN programming on an old IBM mainframe, with the ugly UI of that generation of computers. When things would crash, I'd have a printout of a core dump to go through, with hex addresses and hex representations of data. It might take a few hours or more to get another run in, so it was worth extracting as much useful info from the core dump as possible, rather than just guessing at what the problem might be, running it again, and seeing what happened (kids these days don't know how good they've got it with modern interactive symbolic debuggers). In addition to the great bit-twiddling built-in to the HP 16C, I used the great programmability of it to write a routine that would convert IBM floating point numbers back and forth between IBM's peculiar floating point and hex, so I could type in a hex number from the dump and immediately see what floating point number it represented. That was tremendously useful at the time. Today, I'd do the job on the computer, but back then, the calculator was much more readily available than the computer. Times have changed.It brings up another point, back to the SD cards, dot matrix color displays, etc. To me, a requirement for acalculatoris that it should have multi-year battery life, very readable display in all lighting conditions, a keyboard that gives good tactile feedback, and instant on with no noticeable "boot time". Other than that, it should be simple, and it shouldn't have features that cause compromises on those points. These days especially, if you really need computing horsepower, big graphical displays, or need to massage large amounts of data, the calculator probably isn't the right tool. We have laptops, desktops, internet-connected smartphones, tablets, etc. But a simple uncluttered well-designed calculator is still the easiest way to do certain simple short tasks.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2015, 01:56:09 am
content: Quote from: AG6QR on May 04, 2015, 11:25:29 pmI am of two minds about it. I like the simplicity of single-task calculators like the 16C (or HP45 for that matter). It would not be boot time that I am concerned about but rather the add complexity. YellowKey+Key_X do one thing, and BlueKey_Key_X do another. That gets in the way of "being able to do it with my eye closed" level of familiarity.On the other hand, there are times (say 1 in 100) when those other odd function or even plotting comes in handy. Carrying yet another tool is annoying, so more often then not, that 1 in 100 times when you do need it, you have to do without since that other tool is at home. So back to one clunkie big calculator big as a shoes.Judging from the occasions when I borrow my daughter's TI calculator, I too have to agree that perhaps the added complexity is not worth it. So, I am of two minds about it...May be I will join the chorus of another thread... Let's have a law that all calculator should support RPN as well. Than may be then I can live with a TI calculator. I feel so lost with the EQUAL key instead of an ENTER key.Rick

author: HP-ILnerd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2015, 06:10:06 am
content: Quote from: AG6QR on May 04, 2015, 11:25:29 pmI don't know why, but that story totally warms my heart.Possibly because I used up my original HP-41, and discarded it thinking that would be fine because they would just come out with something better and more capable, because they always did. Then they reallydidn't.Years later (luckily for me), I eventually collected pristine examples of the series, which probably sat in their boxes unused all that time. It's pleasing to know somebody drove one of these things the way it was meant to.Sort of like seeing one of the surviving Saturn V rockets: it's super-nice to see, but that first stage is supposed to be on the bottom of the ocean.Quote from: AG6QR on May 04, 2015, 11:25:29 pmAs for battery life, I couldn't agree more. It's not that new calculators like the HP Prime lack capability (because goodness, theydon't) it's that they suck power like an electric lawnmower.Rechargeables from the 70's like the original HP34c had better battery life!

author: smjcuk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2015, 07:06:00 am
content: Battery life was one thing that killed the HP50g for me. I'd get a 10 days out of it on quality alkalines. So I bought some eneloops and a charger. Then I got 6 days out of it and started to get battery anxiety. So I carried around a spare set of loops. Then I worked out a Casio weighed the same so I carried around a Casio as a backup. I just ended up using that and after three years it still has the original LR44 set in it.Then there's the 9750G which I'm currently using as it has a larger input area and more temp card as well as engineering uniys. I had one years ago and it lasted over two years on 4xAAAs at university engineering degree level daily usage.The prime is surely worse with a colour backlit screen.