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You’ve obviously never used an HP 48GX. An RPN graphing calculator, that actually had a real usable programming language onboard, and included communications (s

by zoky 3y ago

You’ve obviously never used an HP 48GX. An RPN graphing calculator, that actually had a real usable programming language onboard, and included communications (serial and IR) and expandability, in 1993? And it could function as a TV remote to boot? I’d still use mine today if I hadn’t accidentally smashed the screen. I bought a 49G+ as a replacement to use in college, but it just… wasn’t as good. Despite theoretically being much more powerful and having more features, it felt like plasticky garbage and was never really a joy to use the same way the 48 was.

fifilura 3y ago
Yeah but then you may as well use a computer. The acid test here - do they still sell 48gx? Technically they dont sell 11c anymore but 15c looks similar enough count as the same to me (someone who has the time to read the fine print may correct me).
- zubiaur 3y ago
  They sell the HP prime, which is in many ways an evolution the the 48GX, and for some markets, they still sell the 50G, which is even closer to the 48. All of them are fantastic. And once on RPN, it's hard to go back.
- zoky 3y ago
  You couldn’t use a computer on standardized testing. The HP48 series had so much built-in functionality that they arguably shouldn’t have been allowed. For myself, a perennially shitty and unmotivated math student in high school, the SAT was really a test of how quickly I could use my HP48—and I practically aced it. The calculator was just that good. As mentioned in another reply, HP does still sell a successor to the HP48 series. But regardless, I don’t think determining the quality of a calculator based on the business decisions of a company known for its persistently and astonishingly terrible corporate choices really makes a whole lot of sense…
uticus 3y ago
Had a 48G+, was dog slow. There were 3rd party replacements for the main screen (stack) written that were way faster. But yeah it was a delight to use otherwise esp compared to TI-xx

by zoky 3y ago

fifilura 3y ago

Yeah but then you may as well use a computer. The acid test here - do they still sell 48gx? Technically they dont sell 11c anymore but 15c looks similar enough count as the same to me (someone who has the time to read the fine print may correct me).

zubiaur 3y ago
They sell the HP prime, which is in many ways an evolution the the 48GX, and for some markets, they still sell the 50G, which is even closer to the 48. All of them are fantastic. And once on RPN, it's hard to go back.
zoky 3y ago
You couldn’t use a computer on standardized testing. The HP48 series had so much built-in functionality that they arguably shouldn’t have been allowed. For myself, a perennially shitty and unmotivated math student in high school, the SAT was really a test of how quickly I could use my HP48—and I practically aced it. The calculator was just that good. As mentioned in another reply, HP does still sell a successor to the HP48 series. But regardless, I don’t think determining the quality of a calculator based on the business decisions of a company known for its persistently and astonishingly terrible corporate choices really makes a whole lot of sense…

uticus 3y ago

Had a 48G+, was dog slow. There were 3rd party replacements for the main screen (stack) written that were way faster. But yeah it was a delight to use otherwise esp compared to TI-xx