My handheld RPN programmable calculator (made in 1985) is gradually coming to the end. Could you recommend a tabletop or big handheld calculator that would be programmable and convenient to use? I don't need anything fancy; just a set of basic functions; so the interface wouldn't be overloaded with features. All I need is calculate numerically some expressions like as H(z) in manual or programmable mode, and load/store few intermediate numbers. Vladimir Vassilevsky DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant http://www.abvolt.com
OT: Calculators
Started by ●July 13, 2010
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
On 7/13/2010 8:52 AM, Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote:> > My handheld RPN programmable calculator (made in 1985) is gradually > coming to the end. Could you recommend a tabletop or big handheld > calculator that would be programmable and convenient to use? > > I don't need anything fancy; just a set of basic functions; so the > interface wouldn't be overloaded with features. All I need is calculate > numerically some expressions like as H(z) in manual or programmable > mode, and load/store few intermediate numbers. > > > Vladimir Vassilevsky > DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant > http://www.abvolt.com > > > >If you're interested in sticking with RPN (god knows I can't work on an algebraic calculator anymore), check out the HP 35s. It drives like you're used to it driving, and is nearly as good of a calculator as the ones they turned out 20 years ago. Personally, these days I'm using an HP 10C emulator on my Blackberry, and an incomparably good Windows RPN calculator called Excalibur, just because I can't justify the desk space of a dedicated hardware calculator. Plus it would make my slide rule jealous. -- Rob Gaddi, Highland Technology Email address is currently out of order
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
On Jul 13, 12:52�pm, Rob Gaddi <rga...@technologyhighland.com> wrote:> On 7/13/2010 8:52 AM, Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote: > > > > > > > > > My handheld RPN programmable calculator (made in 1985) is gradually > > coming to the end. Could you recommend a tabletop or big handheld > > calculator that would be programmable and convenient to use? > > > I don't need anything fancy; just a set of basic functions; so the > > interface wouldn't be overloaded with features. All I need is calculate > > numerically some expressions like as H(z) in manual or programmable > > mode, and load/store few intermediate numbers. > > > Vladimir Vassilevsky > > DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant > >http://www.abvolt.com > > If you're interested in sticking with RPN (god knows I can't work on an > algebraic calculator anymore), check out the HP 35s. �It drives like > you're used to it driving, and is nearly as good of a calculator as the > ones they turned out 20 years ago. > > Personally, these days I'm using an HP 10C emulator on my Blackberry, > and an incomparably good Windows RPN calculator called Excalibur, just > because I can't justify the desk space of a dedicated hardware > calculator. �Plus it would make my slide rule jealous. > > -- > Rob Gaddi, Highland Technology > Email address is currently out of order- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -Or check out ebay and buy another like you had for cheap. Clay
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
On Jul 13, 9:52�am, Rob Gaddi <rga...@technologyhighland.com> wrote:> On 7/13/2010 8:52 AM, Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote: > > > > > > > My handheld RPN programmable calculator (made in 1985) is gradually > > coming to the end. Could you recommend a tabletop or big handheld > > calculator that would be programmable and convenient to use? > > > I don't need anything fancy; just a set of basic functions; so the > > interface wouldn't be overloaded with features. All I need is calculate > > numerically some expressions like as H(z) in manual or programmable > > mode, and load/store few intermediate numbers. > > > Vladimir Vassilevsky > > DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant > >http://www.abvolt.com > > If you're interested in sticking with RPN (god knows I can't work on an > algebraic calculator anymore), check out the HP 35s. �It drives like > you're used to it driving, and is nearly as good of a calculator as the > ones they turned out 20 years ago. > > Personally, these days I'm using an HP 10C emulator on my Blackberry, > and an incomparably good Windows RPN calculator called Excalibur, just > because I can't justify the desk space of a dedicated hardware > calculator. �Plus it would make my slide rule jealous. > > -- > Rob Gaddi, Highland Technology > Email address is currently out of orderThe HP 33s is a bit less expensive than the 55s and has all the RPN, programmability, etc one would expect. I've had one for a few years now and am quite happy with it. The silly V-shaped keypad took a bit of getting used to, but I hardly notice it any longer. The 55s looks nice though - very much in the old HP tradition. Eric
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
On Jul 13, 11:57�am, Clay <c...@claysturner.com> wrote:> On Jul 13, 12:52�pm, Rob Gaddi <rga...@technologyhighland.com> wrote: > > > > > On 7/13/2010 8:52 AM, Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote: > > > > My handheld RPN programmable calculator (made in 1985) is gradually > > > coming to the end. Could you recommend a tabletop or big handheld > > > calculator that would be programmable and convenient to use? > > > > I don't need anything fancy; just a set of basic functions; so the > > > interface wouldn't be overloaded with features. All I need is calculate > > > numerically some expressions like as H(z) in manual or programmable > > > mode, and load/store few intermediate numbers. > > > > Vladimir Vassilevsky > > > DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant > > >http://www.abvolt.com > > > If you're interested in sticking with RPN (god knows I can't work on an > > algebraic calculator anymore), check out the HP 35s. �It drives like > > you're used to it driving, and is nearly as good of a calculator as the > > ones they turned out 20 years ago. > > > Personally, these days I'm using an HP 10C emulator on my Blackberry, > > and an incomparably good Windows RPN calculator called Excalibur, just > > because I can't justify the desk space of a dedicated hardware > > calculator. �Plus it would make my slide rule jealous. > > > -- > > Rob Gaddi, Highland Technology > > Email address is currently out of order- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - > > Or check out ebay and buy another like you had for cheap. > ClayHeh - I did that when my old HP 32s died a few years back. The problem is that old HPs are becoming collector's items and the prices reflect that. I paid ~$50 for my HP 32s when it was brand new back in 1987. When I looked for one on ebay in 2004 they were up over $250. At that time HP wasn't making any new RPN calculators though - now that they have a few low-end RPN calculators on the market again it appears that the prices for some of the older ones have come down into the $50 - $100 range. Eric
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
On 7/13/2010 3:07 PM, emeb wrote:> On Jul 13, 11:57 am, Clay<c...@claysturner.com> wrote: >> On Jul 13, 12:52 pm, Rob Gaddi<rga...@technologyhighland.com> wrote: >> >> >> >>> On 7/13/2010 8:52 AM, Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote: >> >>>> My handheld RPN programmable calculator (made in 1985) is gradually >>>> coming to the end. Could you recommend a tabletop or big handheld >>>> calculator that would be programmable and convenient to use? >> >>>> I don't need anything fancy; just a set of basic functions; so the >>>> interface wouldn't be overloaded with features. All I need is calculate >>>> numerically some expressions like as H(z) in manual or programmable >>>> mode, and load/store few intermediate numbers. >> >>>> Vladimir Vassilevsky >>>> DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant >>>> http://www.abvolt.com >> >>> If you're interested in sticking with RPN (god knows I can't work on an >>> algebraic calculator anymore), check out the HP 35s. It drives like >>> you're used to it driving, and is nearly as good of a calculator as the >>> ones they turned out 20 years ago. >> >>> Personally, these days I'm using an HP 10C emulator on my Blackberry, >>> and an incomparably good Windows RPN calculator called Excalibur, just >>> because I can't justify the desk space of a dedicated hardware >>> calculator. Plus it would make my slide rule jealous. >> >>> -- >>> Rob Gaddi, Highland Technology >>> Email address is currently out of order- Hide quoted text - >> >>> - Show quoted text - >> >> Or check out ebay and buy another like you had for cheap. >> Clay > > Heh - I did that when my old HP 32s died a few years back. The problem > is that old HPs are becoming collector's items and the prices reflect > that. I paid ~$50 for my HP 32s when it was brand new back in 1987. > When I looked for one on ebay in 2004 they were up over $250. At that > time HP wasn't making any new RPN calculators though - now that they > have a few low-end RPN calculators on the market again it appears that > the prices for some of the older ones have come down into the $50 - > $100 range.http://tinyurl.com/2ckatur http://tinyurl.com/22uu9l4 Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. �����������������������������������������������������������������������
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
Clay wrote:> On Jul 13, 12:52 pm, Rob Gaddi <rga...@technologyhighland.com> wrote: > >>On 7/13/2010 8:52 AM, Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote:>>>My handheld RPN programmable calculator (made in 1985) is gradually >>>coming to the end. Could you recommend a tabletop or big handheld >>>calculator that would be programmable and convenient to use?>>If you're interested in sticking with RPN (god knows I can't work on an >>algebraic calculator anymore), check out the HP 35s. It drives like >>you're used to it driving, and is nearly as good of a calculator as the >>ones they turned out 20 years ago. >> > Or check out ebay and buy another like you had for cheap.Oh, no, it is not about nostalgy :-) I would prefer a modern powerful workhorse. What would you recommend? VLV
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:48:23 -0500, Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote:> Oh, no, it is not about nostalgy :-) I would prefer a modern powerful > workhorse. What would you recommend?Don't you find the inability to cut-and-paste a little limiting, on stand- alone calculators? I loved the key-pad layout and clicky buttons of my HP15c for years, but it's been sitting in a draw with dead batteries for many, many years now. These days I almost always use the shell or awk for simple stuff, and Matlab when it gets more complicated (I never got comfortable with spreadsheets, but I know that some people use those instead). Every so often I fire up Apple's Calculator.app, which is RPN with four TOS lines visible, and reasonably pleasant, although inability to cut-and-paste normally limits its usefulness. Cheers, -- Andrew
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
Andrew Reilly <areilly---@bigpond.net.au> wrote:>Don't you find the inability to cut-and-paste a little limiting, on stand- >alone calculators? I loved the key-pad layout and clicky buttons of my >HP15c for years, but it's been sitting in a draw with dead batteries for >many, many years now. These days I almost always use the shell or awk >for simple stuff, and Matlab when it gets more complicated (I never got >comfortable with spreadsheets, but I know that some people use those >instead). Every so often I fire up Apple's Calculator.app, which is RPN >with four TOS lines visible, and reasonably pleasant, although inability >to cut-and-paste normally limits its usefulness.I like "dc". Unfortunately it is missing a lot of functions that are useful in calculators. But it is RPN. Matlab, not being RPN, is not as useful for columns of figures but has all the math functions you could ever want. My old HP-11C seems optimal. Steve
Reply by ●July 13, 20102010-07-13
Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote:> > Clay wrote: > > On Jul 13, 12:52 pm, Rob Gaddi <rga...@technologyhighland.com> wrote: > > > >>On 7/13/2010 8:52 AM, Vladimir Vassilevsky wrote: > > >>>My handheld RPN programmable calculator (made in 1985) is gradually > >>>coming to the end. Could you recommend a tabletop or big handheld > >>>calculator that would be programmable and convenient to use? > > >>If you're interested in sticking with RPN (god knows I can't work on an > >>algebraic calculator anymore), check out the HP 35s. It drives like > >>you're used to it driving, and is nearly as good of a calculator as the > >>ones they turned out 20 years ago. > >> > > Or check out ebay and buy another like you had for cheap. > > Oh, no, it is not about nostalgy :-) I would prefer a modern powerful > workhorse. What would you recommend? >I use one of three calculators daily all soft implementations. The most common calculator I use is an excel spreadsheet page that is almost always open somewhere on my cluttered desktop. I have a much modified Javascript calculator program that keeps getting whatever new features I need. Lastly I have a very nice soft emulation of a HP15ce that was implemented with a 180 significant digits. http://www.precisionstrobe.com/jc/hp15ce/hp15ce.html Regards, Walter.. -- Walter Banks Byte Craft Limited http://www.bytecraft.com --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---
