What's your favorite calculator? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: zbrown
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:02:10 pm
content: I personally like the HP Prime a lot, as it's touchscreen, has the best keyboard on any calculator I've ever used, and a lot of EE tools for it can be found online. What are your picks?

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:05:47 pm
content: HP 41CX

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:19:16 pm
content: I have to pick one?My HP-15C is probably the one I reach for the most. I have choices though:HP-15C2 x HP-16C (one lives in my desk at work)HP-45 (mint condition with all the original stuff in the nice box)HP-35 reissue (probably one of the best modern RPN calculators still available new)HP-50g (pretty rare I use it; if I need to do plotting, computer tools are way better)

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:28:40 pm
content: Hello me from the past! I recall making the same exact forum post with the same exact answer.I could easily say the HP Prime, as it's a modern calculator with a (for a calculator) blazing fast 400Mhz ARM processor, colour touch screen, and good implementations of giac and RPN, along with a great suite of graphing utilities that fully take advantage of the touch screen.However I'm not going to say that it's my favourite, and while it's definitely the most impressive one I own, I have to give that trophy to the HP 50g, which has one of, if not the best RPN implementations available. RPN CAS with textbook notation! It's amazingly fluid too, especially if you are used to RPN, and it is one of the rare instances where I think a calculator is actually fun to use.The HP 48g, which is my only other calculator, takes third place, but shouldn't be considered as bad either. For the time it was available, it was easily one of the most impressive calculators around, and I wish I had one of the variations that had CAS, as I'm wondering if it has the same system the HP 50g has (making it both historically and visually interesting, as well as crazily useful).The answers you will get, however, depends on who is doing what. HP calcs have been a fan of EEs and more power users for decades, but almost everyone on the planet has had the misfortune to use a Z80 based Ti calculator, and a lot of people only think of those as the best graphing calculators can be, which just annoys me. I am actually rather interested in the 68k calcs (as I love the 68k) but I don't expect those to be particularly impressive compared to a Saturn or ARM based HP calculator of similar vintage.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:30:11 pm
content: I didn't like RPN and went with Sharp pocket calculators, like EL5103 and EL9000.The HP's would plot equations and do integration, so they were the best in university though.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:41:47 pm
content: Do we have to actually own them or can they be totally unubtanium?1. Curta2. Wang 7003. Anita Mk 10

author: windsmurf
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:43:10 pm
content: I always thought this was really cool.... not my favorite as I don't have one, and have never handled one before...Oh Curta was mentioned above so I'm adding this:

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:46:01 pm
content: Ah a fellow Curta man, I see you are a man of class.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:47:11 pm
content: Oh yeah the math grenade is a real neat piece of kit.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:54:04 pm
content: HP48GX been using it for over 25 years

author: mc172
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 10:22:26 pm
content: My fx-85GT does me well but I'm led to believe that in the elite calculator circles this isn't good enough. No idea why!

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 10:23:34 pm
content: I also replied to Ampera's old thread as well. My heart belongs to many models, and I am faithful to all of them!My favourite is the HP48 - I got a 48SX in 1991 but about 20 years later it simply died. My wife then kindly gave me her 48GX which is still alive and well. At work I have a HP35S that does an excellent job for me (too afraid to leave the 48GX there and have it "borrowed" by someone that does not intend to return it).I started with my dad's TI-59 (first thing I ever programmed) and I currently have a TI-66 just to flex my programming muscle memory. I love both, although the 59 still holds a special place in my heart.My first actual calculator was a Casio fx-39 given to me by my dad in 1982. I still have it, along with my brother's and another one I got a few years ago in the hopes to get it working again. Unfortunately the Casios of the time had a very bad keyboard resistive mat that becomes brittle and ceases to work after a few years...(edit) oh, and I forgot a HP11C that I got a few years back on the local market with the intention to turn a profit. Something about the Voyager calculators (TI66 as well) made me fall in love with it. Never sold it and currently don't plan to do it.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 10:25:04 pm
content: TI-89 Titanium. I had to get one for college, and it still works, so why not keep using it?

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 10:50:55 pm
content: I still have a HP48G+. I don't use it very often anymore though, but it works perfectly. When in front of a computer, I use computer tools and calculators. If not, most often my phone (using free42 mostly).But it's nice to go back to a real calculator every once in a while.

author: DIPLover
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 11:07:47 pm
content: T.I. 92 plusMAN I love that thing.

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 11:20:10 pm
content: HP 48sx, died last year so I had to fix it.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 12:13:30 am
content: The nearest one with the feature I need.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 12:19:43 am
content: RealCalc Scientific Calculator (Android only). Why?- Brilliantly designed by an electronics engineer.- Does RPN as well as traditional algebraic.- Best GUI around, with haptic keypress feedback.- Great for embedded programming.- Does conversions etc.- Extremely convenient.- Is free, but worth the couple of dollars for the extra features and to reward the developer.For a desk based calculator, I use have the Farad 808 scientific calculator - still working since I bought it in 1976 during my final year of high school, with its beautiful green vacuum fluorescent display. I've had many, many calculators since 1976. But almost exclusively I use RealCalc now. Favourite programmable calculator was the TI SR56, which I bought for uni in 1977.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 02:23:08 am
content: My first choice is the HP48g but only because the HP50g which replaced it is slower and less reliable.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 04:48:33 am
content: HP45. I love that calculator. I have the calculator case still, but I have no recollection what might have happened to it.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 06:47:19 am
content: Casio fx-61F.

author: emece67
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 07:42:33 am
content: .

author: Keicar
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 08:09:42 am
content: Sharp EL-5100

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 08:49:48 am
content: It's a beauty, does all kinds of engineering stuff.

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 08:59:12 am
content: ^ ssssh, they're going to label you as a bean countermy calc of choice is the CASIO FX-991EXi'm a casio guy. They just feel so natural to me

author: Dave_PT
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 09:23:56 am
content: I love the CASIO FX9860G.Until today I use it at work, with a emulation SW.You can download it from this link:https://app.box.com/s/jrfasue24x2tven74516

author: Black Phoenix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 09:25:30 am
content: TI89 Titanium, coupled with the following program available in the TI website:QuoteBought a lot of years ago new, always used since then and never felt the need for a new one.

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 01:01:59 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on August 12, 2019, 08:49:48 amUntil you find all the issues/bugs in it. Open/LibreOffice Calc is a lot better

author: hwj-d
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 02:00:19 pm
content: Quote from: eugenenine on August 12, 2019, 01:01:59 pmYESSS(but go for LibreOffice)

author: TimNJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 02:02:29 pm
content: Archimedes for iOS. I have a beautiful TI SR-50 on my desk too, but I've used it about once this year because Archimedes is just that good.

author: hwj-d
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 02:13:15 pm
content: Look at this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ong91Ji3iDk

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 02:15:05 pm
content: HP 35s here.Not as powerful as my former 50g but I can keep how it works in my head

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 02:50:01 pm
content: %windir%\system32\calc.exe

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 06:07:09 pm
content: I have the more modern TI & HP models but I prefer, and use, my HP48GX.Other tools include wxMaxima, MATLAB, Fortran, Desmos.com, Symbolab.com and others.

author: frozenfrogz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 07:03:53 pm
content: HP 16C

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 08:50:07 pm
content: Like t'other chap I use realcalc on Android (in RPN mode), but for PC use there is Opalcalc:https://www.skytopia.com/software/opalcalc/

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 09:11:43 pm
content: Casio fx-570W

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 09:13:39 pm
content: I got an old Texas Instruments TI-92 PLUS.I like how I can go back to the calculations using the arrow keys to check for typos and alter them.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 09:15:27 pm
content: That'll teach me to take evening photos under indoor lighting - the colour rendition is way off!

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 09:23:58 pm
content: Quote from: Rick Law on August 12, 2019, 04:48:33 amLOL! I was digging through a pile of stuff today and found a box for a HP-45 with the charger and original book. I have no idea where the calculator went.

author: malagas_on_fire
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 09:26:43 pm
content: Quote from: Gyro on August 12, 2019, 09:15:27 pmJesus a palm deviceNice interface,

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 09:34:20 pm
content: YEY Palm is my favourite to!

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 12:02:26 am
content: What? No one has mentioned the HP 9100! Everyone needs a calculator that weighs 40 odd pounds and uses core memory and a masked off CRT display!https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp9100.htm

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 04:23:58 am
content: Quote from: Stray Electron on August 13, 2019, 12:02:26 amAs pretty as that display is, I'll have to stick with the Wang 700 for the tape drive instead of magnetic card. (Unless there is an accessory adaptor or something).

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 07:36:59 am
content: Quote from: hwj-d on August 12, 2019, 02:00:19 pmNah. All these altoffices, i dislike them very much. They put buttons and menus in the wrong places, so it takes ages to find them. Time is money, excel is cheap. Not to mention, I can log directly into a report with a 34465A in excel. By pressing buttons. Try doing this in any of the altoffices. Or any calculator.

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 08:03:31 am
content: Quote from: Dave_PT on August 12, 2019, 09:23:56 ami have that one too.. but i don't remember wheretoo bulky though, doesn't fit the pocketAlso if i found it i would start playing minesweeper again

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 08:19:47 am
content: FX991D.It has a persisted ENG mode and is simple direct entry.Almost all regularly used functions are single keystrokes, the exception being x<>y which is shifted.Also almost identical functionally are: FX570D, FX570AD, FX570CD, FX115D, FX991D and FX100D. Some are without solar, and some have a slightly different form factor.

author: Zucca
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 08:48:19 am
content: Wolfram Products are the most powerful calculator I came acrossFor exampleWolfram MathematicaWolframalphaRight now I am a bored EE, but when I was a student Wolfram was the hottest shit.

author: Gary350z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 10:55:04 am
content: HP-11CMine is about 34 years old and still works perfect.Here's a picture. Enlarge and enjoy.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 10:59:11 am
content: Nice to see one in such good condition

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 11:02:36 am
content: Either a British Thornton AA010 comprehensive, or, if I want a spreadsheet, an HP95LX.

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 12:40:34 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on August 13, 2019, 07:36:59 am

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 12:50:51 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on August 13, 2019, 07:36:59 amI agree. I tried many times, and after a while I just go and give money to Microsoft. I don't like them, but stuff simply works.

author: hwj-d
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 10:01:16 pm
content: Your fault.LibreOfficeis simple to learn.

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 11:31:19 pm
content: Quote from: hwj-d on August 13, 2019, 10:01:16 pmLOL, thank you for calling me stupid.I know how to use it, and have been trying to use it on and off for many years now.News flash , it's not me, Libre Office is stupid. As in, by not being compatible with MS Office, none of the third party stuff works, I cannot exchange files with colleagues (working on files, collaborating) etc etc. Keysight has several great plugins where you can directly connect to instruments and automate them directly from MS Office... Etc, etc. If I lived in vacuum, and all I was doing was creating documents from the scratch and when done sending people PDFs of final documents Libre Office would be fine. But I don't.Therefore MS Office for me.

author: hwj-d
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 12:35:00 am
content: Quote from: 2N3055 on August 13, 2019, 11:31:19 pmYes, you are NOT stupid. You are NOT stupid. That's enough?QuoteMe too, and I'm happy with LO all the years! And LO is also not stupid!And now?Belive me, that's all a subjektive perception and familiarization.Peace ...Edit: But stop, there is one big difference. Excel is MS(proprietary), and LO is ODF(ISO)

author: hagster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 05:19:07 am
content: GNU Octave

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 06:25:33 am
content: Quote from: hwj-d on August 14, 2019, 12:35:00 amOK then. I will stop crying now...It is nice when people have sense of humor...Quote from: hwj-d on August 14, 2019, 12:35:00 amI didn't say I LIKE it more. I don't. If anything, I like older (menu type) interface in L.O.better. L.O. is perfectly enough for what I do, writing and calc wise..One problem (not primary) is that Office add-ons by third parties don't work. Second (primary) is that is most of the people that I work with use MS Office. So they send me Word files that fall apart and Excel files that doesn't work all the time, and if I send them something it doesn't work for them. Then I have to be IT support for them and waste time on that too. That's it. Not even my choice, other made it for me.Regards,

author: hwj-d
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 08:11:16 am
content: Quote from: 2N3055 on August 14, 2019, 06:25:33 amYeah that's the trick of ms. And I'm principally not involved in that. Fortunately, I don't have an employer who forces me to that.Thanks

author: mgscheue
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 02:37:10 pm
content: HP-15C.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 04:57:52 pm
content: awk.No, seriously. I even have abin/cscript I use all the time,Code:#!/bin/shexec awk 'function choose(n, k) { choose_r = 1; for (choose_i = 1; choose_i <= k; choose_i++) choose_r *= (n - choose_i + 1) / choose_i; return choose_r }function asin(arg) { return atan2(arg, sqrt(1.0 - arg*arg)) }function acos(arg) { return atan2(sqrt(1.0 - arg*arg), arg) }function atan(arg) { return atan2(arg, 1.0) }function tan(arg) { return sin(arg)/cos(arg) }function abs(arg) { if (arg < 0.0) return -arg; if (arg > 0.0) return arg; return 0 }function fact(n) { fact_r = 1; for (fact_i = 1; fact_i <= n; fact_i++) fact_r *= fact_i; return fact_r }function log10(x) { return log(x)/log(10) }function log2(x) { return log(x)/log(2) }BEGIN { Pi = PI = pi = 3.14159265358979323846 ; deg = pi/180 ; s = sprintf("%.16f", ('"$*"')); sub(/00*$/, "", s); sub(/\.$/, "", s); printf "%s\n", s }'and for anything iterative, I often reach forawk 'BEGIN { ... }'. I also have a few dozen manipulator scripts and programs doing range math, IEEE-754 conversions, et cetera.For symbolic math, I use Maple or SageMath.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 05:04:56 pm
content: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 05:25:00 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on August 14, 2019, 05:04:56 pmYou mock me! How dare you!No, it's just that in my typical workflow, whenever I need a quick math answer, I always have a couple of terminals already open, and it's just faster to run a script, than fire up a proper calculator GUI. Plus, if I forget, it'll still be in my command buffer (~/.bash_history). It's all about being lazy, and getting a reliable answer with the least amount of effort spent.My second most favourite calculator is a piece of paper. I don't like doing math in my head at all, but doing it on paper is fine for me. It's like doodling on paper when I'm thinking.Just recently I was thinking about kids having difficulty motivating themselves to remember e.g. multiplication tables or fractional multiplication in your head (likeprice× (1 - 0.25) for 25% off). I thought how one wouldn't want to walk around in a store looking at your phone, tapping on it, just to understand the prices around you. Then, I remembered that that's exactly what the kids do nowadays anyway..

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 05:59:40 pm
content: I’m being a hypocrite there really as I use “dc” and awk regularly

author: Daruosha
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 06:09:53 pm
content: No love for Casio ClassPad series? I know a lot of folks here hate those things, but I love my CP400 and CG50 combo.(Yeah, yeah, queue the hate comments)

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 06:12:33 pm
content: Theyre better than a TI nSpire!

author: hwj-d
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2019, 09:09:57 pm
content: Quote from: Nominal Animal on August 14, 2019, 05:25:00 pm"Smartphone smartphone in my hand, who is nicest in the land?!"

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2019, 08:45:44 am
content: Quote from: hwj-d on August 12, 2019, 02:00:19 pmExcept Excel has one BIG advantage over other spreadheet programs. In Excel you can plot a graph and get it to assign a nth order equation to it. This is very useful when you want to make an equation to programmatically derive the temperature from a table published by a thermistor vendor. The equation in an embedded micro can sometimes be better and more accurate than using a lookup table. Using an equation works fabulously with Labview or C/C++/C# on a PC. I know you can also use Matlab to get an equation. Try and do that with OpenOffice or LibreOffice Calc!

author: hwj-d
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2019, 10:18:17 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on August 17, 2019, 08:45:44 amMaybe so. I probably lack the necessary awareness to be lured onto the MS agenda.(Edit: ... and I'm a MCSE, a couple of years ago)

author: Black Phoenix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2019, 09:20:39 am
content: Not favourite calculator but I saw this Image and I wanted to know if any of the users know which brand is that one:I remember having one like that at home, with a Vacuum Fluorescent Display but i don't remember if it was a HP or a Texas Instruments. Or even if it was other brand, but I remember being exactly like that one.Unfortunately it wasn't mine, it was my uncle's one and he took it home like 25 years ago. Also I remember that I didn't work, something was broken.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2019, 09:40:31 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on August 17, 2019, 08:45:44 amSounds like an application for curve fitting. I've done the same thing for power sensor calibration in LibreOffice. It does the usual linear, exponential and polynomial fits. The calibration constants were then cut and pasted right into the AVR code

author: shakalnokturn
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2019, 11:43:37 am
content: I have the same TI-82 (old version) since high-school 25 years ago, my favourite as I know my way around it best. Also have a TI-89 and a couple of new HP48GX's I bought because they were selling cheap at the time (I'd still be making profit if I sold them today), never really got used to using these...

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2019, 02:18:48 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on August 30, 2019, 09:40:31 amJust use SciDavis for any kind of data representation and/or curve fitting. It's lightweight, open source, cross-platform, exports to many file formats including SVG and EPS...

author: Black Phoenix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2019, 04:29:57 pm
content: Quote from: Black Phoenix on August 30, 2019, 09:20:39 amUpdate about this one: After a lot of search, I found the Model:Texas Instruments TI-1250

author: Illusionist
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2019, 06:37:30 pm
content: Quote from: Keicar on August 12, 2019, 08:09:42 amMe too! I bought mine for college in 1982 I think, in a closing-down sale reduced to £15 from £60.It worked up until two years ago when I finally gave up on it. The LCD screen was almost unreadable. I actually threw it out only a couple of months ago, with the LCD screen obviously much worse, in a fit of tidying.Can't say I have a favourite now. I have a few that get used occasionally, but mostly I'll be at the PC so just pull up an on-screen calculator or spreadsheet for whatever I need.

author: hasanayt
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 18, 2022, 06:36:52 pm
content: I just saw this topic. It's a very old topic. Online calculations were not very common in these times. My Favorite engineering calculations tool is a website and this is ML. They also produce calculations on request.https://mechanicalland.com/category/engineering-calculators/

author: armandine2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2022, 08:16:25 pm
content: App calculators  seems to be where it is now - or for a while, I guess

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2022, 09:23:26 pm
content: Of the ones I can't have I'd say the Curta is my favorite...It's just so cool. I've wanted an HP-15C, because I've never had an RPN...but I can't justify the high used prices. Of the handful that I have I like the Casio fx-260solar.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2022, 09:25:33 pm
content: App calculators can calculate, but they don't have physical buttons you can press. I think that's a big part of what makes a calculator - if you don't care about no buttons there are much better calculator apps that aren't emulations.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2022, 09:55:47 pm
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on October 18, 2022, 09:25:33 pmThe real problem is, that with app calculators, you have to boot or wake the thing, find the app, and then "Oh dear, there's an OS update that just started, this will take a little time..."I put my hand in the breast pocket, whip out my HP-15C, and in a few seconds have a result.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2022, 11:46:13 pm
content: Quote from: Benta on October 18, 2022, 09:55:47 pmYep, and this follows with my general regard that a device specifically made to do X is better than a general device that can do X, Y, and Z. A computer, or phone, does many things... so its acuity is thinned out amonst them all.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 12:13:42 am
content: QuoteUsually, yes. But the general device scores by actually being in your pocket. Don't know about you, but I don't walk around with a calculator and camera and satnav and all those things filling my pockets. Well, I couldn't - I'd have to take a bag. Things tend not to be too useful, no matter how brilliant and single-minded they are, if you don't have 'em

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 12:37:34 am
content: Quote from: MikeK on October 18, 2022, 09:23:26 pmIf you do find one, remember that it will most likely take many hours to rebuild, with expert hands, in case there is any mechanical issue.The Curta is super cool because it is so small, but there were a wide variety of mechanical (or electro-mechanical) calculators over the decades. Friden and Brunsviga had some cool models.QuoteThere are a couple of companies making replica 15Cs, including a full-size and a compact.https://www.swissmicros.com/product/dm15My favorite is the one I used most in school, the HP 48GX. I've been aware of follow-on models that are supposedly faster, but each time I held one in my hands I was disappointed in the feel. Not just RPN entry, but RPL programming is really nice on the 48.

author: Picuino
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 11:10:31 am
content: Casio FX-4500PAVery old and difficult to find in the market.https://www.casio.com/latin/scientific-calculators/product.FX-4500PA/

author: RAPo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 03:32:05 pm
content: If I must choose only one: HP41CX with math/stat module (my first love from math university and in use since 1981).But I have all of the " 10C series: Compact yet Sophisticated Calculators (1981)" as presented inhttps://hpmuseum.org/, an HP prime, an HP42s and the DM41X from swissmicro's.RPN/RPL has been ingrained into my system (both memory and muscles), I cannot use a non-RPN calculator without great difficulty.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 03:47:41 pm
content: My favorite calculator is my 40 year old HP41CX, although I rarely use it now as I have an iPhone app that looks and works just like the real thing, only much faster.

author: jasonRF
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 03:52:12 pm
content: The last handheld calculator I bought was an HP 32S, 25ish years ago. I needed it to replace the identical model that was stolen. So it is my favorite by default. I do not use calculators for graphing or programming, so even simpler RPNs would be fine. These days I mostly use the Free42 app on my Iphone, which basically emulates the HP 42S. That way I don’t need to purchase button-cell batteries, although I do miss the tactile buttons.Jason

author: jasonRF
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 04:05:59 pm
content: Quote from: RAPo on October 19, 2022, 03:32:05 pmMe too. Last year I was doing field testing for work and forgot my calculator. Tried using the default app on my phone and just could not use it for anything. Fortunately a younger colleague was with me who was fluent in “normal calculator” so he was stuck doing the quick-and-dirty sanity check calculations. It made me nervous, but I still did pencil-and-paper order of magnitude checks and looked like a dinosaur. Soon after I found the Free42 app for my phone so that problem never happens again.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 04:15:44 pm
content: Too bad the favorite calcs are out of production and too pricey on the used market.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 04:37:58 pm
content: Quote from: MikeK on October 19, 2022, 04:15:44 pmThe Swissmicros DM15L is a decent clone of the HP15 C. I have one of each and use both. I also use a 15C app on my android phone, but prefer the physical calculator.

author: Calambres
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 05:27:32 pm
content: Now that you bring Swissmicros here, I've got a DM42 and it is BY FAR my favourite calculator from the many I have.

author: RAPo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 05:31:06 pm
content: Quote from: fourfathom on October 19, 2022, 04:37:58 pmIndeed, I was a beta tester for the DM41X and DM42. They work really well.There are myriad apps for the phone: Free42, Plus42 (the same author as Free42 but with enhancements and for a few dollars you'll the developer), GOxxAnd for the real afficinados (even non RP): pocketemul.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 07:03:19 pm
content: Quote from: fourfathom on October 19, 2022, 04:37:58 pmindeed, but no more than "decent". Key quality/feel is nowhere near the real HP.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 07:32:45 pm
content: Have you tried the HP Prime? It has a fantastic keypad.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 08:08:10 pm
content: Quote from: Benta on October 19, 2022, 07:03:19 pmAgreed (I use both regularly). But still quite usable.

author: aeberbach
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2022, 10:57:31 pm
content: Quote from: Benta on October 19, 2022, 07:03:19 pmThey had some issues early on. I have a DM16L that has quite stiff keys but the DM42 from this year is much nicer.

author: cool_man
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 21, 2022, 01:40:21 pm
content: hp45 my favourite.I have an HP-35 and an HP-6s, but I'd probably prefer an HP-45 to either of them.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2022, 05:17:26 pm
content: Quote from: MikeK on October 19, 2022, 04:15:44 pmYou don't say... "favorite" and "pricey" kind of go together, I think.

author: wn1fju
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2022, 12:27:45 pm
content: AC powered, Nixie tubes, fixed-point arithmetic, memory, 52 years old and going strong. My favorite.

author: py-bb
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2022, 02:10:40 pm
content: I got a TI NSpire CAS thinking "ooh 250mb of RAM (or something)" and "ooh 700mhz arm processor"It's shit, it's so educational style that on the box it is like "you can move equations" and shows y=x^2 being turned into y=(x-c)^2 for translation - only works on x^2 - the CAS takes forever on practical things, the graphs are slow as hell to plot, terrible thing.Love my Casio FX 9860 GIIIt has an SD card, a backlight, you can overclock it which is nice and I replace the 4xAAAs (which are rechargeable) like once every 2 years, it's amazing how long they've lasted.It's a nice little "math shell" in how you can press up and re-run stuff, had it since sixth form, love it.

author: bingo600
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2022, 07:43:25 pm
content: Back in my 6800/6809 ASm days , I loved this onehttp://www.datamath.org/Sci/Slanted/Programmer-II.htmI still have it , and it's workingGot it exchanged via TI , from a Programmer to a Programmer II - The previous had the "ugly TI key-prell"/Bingo

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2022, 10:09:30 pm
content: The TI calculators always had lousy keys.Press "5" and you'd get "555". Miserable quality,That'swhere the HPs shone.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2022, 10:21:14 pm
content: I have the older version of the TI Programmer. It has the little red bubble LEDs. I bought it during my quest to find a calculator with light up digits.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2022, 11:45:14 pm
content: Quote from: Benta on October 22, 2022, 10:09:30 pmThe TI57/58/59 had excellent keys - I was quite a power user back when I was a kid programming my dad's calculator.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2022, 11:47:28 pm
content: Quote from: rdl on October 22, 2022, 10:21:14 pmI also have this calculator and love it. The red display brings me back to my childhood and my dad's TI59

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2022, 11:52:43 pm
content: Quote from: wn1fju on October 22, 2022, 12:27:45 pmBeautiful model you have there. I have a nixie calculator as well (Casio AS-A), but unfortunately it is a very early model that is quite unreliable and mine works well for a few minutes before the results start going cuckoo. I still need to work on it, but the -24V MOS logic is quite difficult to get right with these cheapie logic analyzers.My page where I have several photos of it:https://sites.google.com/view/vbeletronico/casio-as-a-vbe-014

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 12:49:04 am
content: I refurbished the battery pack for an NOS (new old stock) TI-55 a couple weeks ago and found something weird.When I originally fixed the battery pack, I tested it with the calculator and the calculator was broken. It had never occurred to me that an NOS TI-55 would not work. Further testing with a power supply confirmed it.So I found a couple of junked TI-55s on Ebay and planned on replacing the processor/display board. When the Ebay units arrived, I tested them on my power supply and they worked fine. Then I wondered what the current draw was so I swapped test leads and ... now neither of the two TI-55s from Ebay worked. What the hell? I checked the test leads and they were connected correctly, so that did not make any sense, but then I noticed that the other test leads were backwards.So I connected power backwards to the NOS TI-55 and it worked fine. What happened is that Texas Instruments manufactured them with the red lead as negative and the black lead as positive.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 01:27:47 am
content: This is plain evil... I put this as evil as the negative center tip on power barrel jacks of japanese musical instruments.

author: eti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 02:08:02 am
content: The one GOD gave me, in me noggin

author: armandine2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 11:11:33 am
content: my TI59 - needs a battery pack - which I never had as it was on a printer.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 01:18:39 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on October 23, 2022, 01:27:47 amThere is actually a good justification for center tip negative. It allows the built in switch to disconnect positive in a negative ground system, so ground remains connected and ground is connected first.

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 03:59:05 pm
content: I have a selection of HP calculators and like them all, especially the 'Voyager' hp1xC series, but if I had to keep only one it would be the one I bought new - the HP16C.I probably use the 32SII more often though, as the 16C doesn't have trig functions and the integer features of the 32SII are just about sufficient for most needs.Non-hp / non-RPN calculators don't really compare. I just keep them as curiosities. But I like the keyboards of older Canons - Canola and Palmtronic with Nixie, VFD and LED displays. I'd really like to get another Palmtronic F5 like the one I owned nearly 50 years ago.

author: Calambres
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 04:14:43 pm
content: Quote from: David Hess on October 23, 2022, 01:18:39 pmThere's even a better rationale for that: it disconnects the positive side of the included 9V battery clip so it is irrelevant whether it is left without a battery connected, bouncing inside a metallic negative ground chassis.

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 04:18:10 pm
content: Quote from: eti on October 23, 2022, 02:08:02 amI've got one of those but it's just not reliable for more than a couple of digits.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2022, 05:19:46 pm
content: Quote from: David Hess on October 23, 2022, 01:18:39 pmIME 100% of such adapters I saw were fully isolated (linear power supplies), therefore disconnecting ground or positive makes zero difference in the greater scheme of things. Also, the disconnect can vary with the quality of modern variants of barrel plugs - I got various models that vary their disconnect pattern - sure, the vast majority of them connect the center first, but I have seen some that don't. To me it makes zero difference, only an annoyance that is prone to bring yet another crap variable to the already confusing world of barrel jacks and plugs with various voltages but with the same dimensions.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2022, 03:07:52 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on October 23, 2022, 05:19:46 pmBut it gives the option, or at least makes it easier, to power something from a non-isolated DC source.

author: onsenwombat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2022, 09:02:45 am
content: TI-85 any day, every day.

author: Picuino
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2022, 10:51:38 am
content: With the Zilog Z80 at its heart.What a great microprocessor!

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2022, 02:57:36 pm
content: Casio fx7500G

author: jrmymllr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2022, 03:12:52 pm
content: I have an original TI-89 I ordered from an educational supply company 25 years ago using my Motorola bag phone. It got me through my engineering degree and I always found new things it could do.And I think it's pretty cool that it uses a 68K CPU

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2022, 07:58:41 pm
content: Quote from: onsenwombat on October 28, 2022, 09:02:45 amThe TI-85 was my first graphing calculator. We were required to get one at school. After a year or so, I got a TI-86 and sold the TI-85. (First and foremost because of the TI-86’s much better display.) Alas, I don’t know what happened to the TI-86. On my last big move, I must have sold it, lost it, or given it away.With that said, I absolutely love my HP Prime.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2022, 09:34:34 pm
content: How are the keys on the HP Prime? As good as the ones on the HP-67 and HP-41?

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2022, 09:54:11 pm
content: My favorite one is HP-25, I bought it 20y back on local flee market for 8Euro in perfect condition, replaced batteries for the modern nimh ones, and since then I fire up the gadget often and try to learn RPN finally (playing lunar landing), while watching its beautiful display, especially at night. The buttons are still working fine, best one ever made. Otherwise I own HP-48GX and WP-34S, but those are just gathering dust as they do not lit at night, and are too complex to use..

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2022, 11:28:35 pm
content: Quote from: Sal Ammoniac on October 28, 2022, 09:34:34 pmThey're OK IME, although on the original version of the Prime, the contrast on the colouring of the keys made it almost impossible to use without good lighting.As a calculator, it's interesting, but frankly if you're going to do anything outside of the classroom or exam room, you'd do it on a proper computer: the limitations of the non-qwerty keyboard interface and small screen are its biggest drawback for real, practical engineering purposes. The one exception to this is that I found it of some limited use on commuter train journeys where you often can't practically get a laptop out: I've done a fair bit of complex DSP modelling on the Prime at various times.Like many non-trivial calculators, you really need to use it reasonably frequently to keep current and use it to its greatest capabilities.I think that's why I'm still quite a fan of the specific Casio line FX-100D/115D/570xD/991D: they're just so very straightforward to use, offering immediate execution, and they persist the engineering display mode.Although I have an FX-61F, I never found that I had much practical use for it, preferring the FX-100D etc mentioned above.In recent years, I've found myself drifting over to RPN, and have become a bit of a fan boy of the HP Voyager series, although I find there displays are rather limiting compared to modern alternatives. The form factor is just my cup of tea though.In practice, my daily drivers nowadays are either the WP-34S or the DM42: one I have with me at work, and the other at home.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 29, 2022, 11:46:43 am
content: Quote from: Sal Ammoniac on October 28, 2022, 09:34:34 pmSince I haven’t used either of those, I can’t give a comparison to them, unfortunately.What I can say is that I chose the HP Prime because of the keys. I have some neurological problems that cause finger sensitivity issues that make it painful for me to use keys where I have to press hard and bottom out to avoid missed key presses, which unfortunately is how standard membrane keypads are. It doesn’t take all that many keystrokes on a regular TI calculator for my fingers to hurt. The Prime has proper tactile domes with a reliable, fairly light touch. The HP-35s, for example, is also tactile, but requires significantly more force. The current TI Nspire keys are tactile, too, but not as nice.The HP Prime has hands-down the best keys of any calculator on the market right now from any major manufacturer, if you ask me.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 29, 2022, 11:52:23 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on October 28, 2022, 11:28:35 pmActually, the change was made during the production of the first generation. Regardless, all of them made since August 2016 have the improved key printing. Since what’s available now is the second generation (“G2”, which all have the improved keycaps), and even if buying used you’d want the G2 anyway since it’s much faster, there’s no reason to worry about the old style key printing.