CALCULATORS (the remake)! (also slide rules)

[inteli722]

Since the old calculator thread is very clearly dead, and I don't think it would be a very good idea to necro it, how about another?

What calculators do you guys use/have? Do you enjoy them? Do you have any personal recommendations after using a bunch?

I personally have a TI-84+ Silver Edition and a TI-Nspire CAS, though neither gets a ton of use. I'm also looking into an old HP 48G or 48GX, based on the assumption that I found I really like Reverse Polish Notation, general reviews of the newer RPN calculators aren't very fair, and I really liked the buttons on the older HP calculators I've used. Very tactile, though they also are very short throw, decently stiff, and feel very well made.

After using the Nspire CX, I cannot say I recommend either the 84 +SE or the regular Nspire, because the buttons, except for the letters on the Nspire (in alphabetical order ), are just not up to snuff. They feel very cheap, wobbly, and rubbery compared to the HP calculators.

Also, if anyone here has an HP 50g and can compare it to a 48g, that would be very much appreciated.



EDIT: Now includes Slide Rules, since they're related and someone brought them up.

[catnipz0098]

I use the TI-83

[Hak Foo]

I have a Casio 9850 in my drawer, but I haven't touched it in years.  Threw a RPN calculator on my phone for the twice a year I can't get by with mental approximating.

[demik]

calculators is one of those words that if you type it a lot you start to question if you're typing it correctly

[ComradeSniper]

Just a Ti-84 Silver Edition. Found it at a yard sale for $20 a while back. It does everything I need it to do, though I would kind of like a color screen...

[inteli722]

Just a Ti-84 Silver Edition. Found it at a yard sale for $20 a while back. It does everything I need it to do, though I would kind of like a color screen...

They actually just released a TI-84 Silver edition in Color. Kinda weird, considering the resolution of that screen is slightly lower than that of the HP 48G, which came out a good 5 years before.

[tp4tissue]

um.... real world... we use excel.. and matlab..   maybe some other stat pack for tradition but, the handheld has really been relegated as merely a "learning-tool" for children..

[okooko]

No substitute for slamming a few calculations out when its not efficient to punch it on the calculator than opening a spreadsheet.
Obvious uses during Uni/College and I was a tutor for Maths for many years so it was a must.

I use a Casio fx-CG10. Doesn't take commands as quickly as my older one (forget the model but was a Casio)

[rowdy]

[tipo33]

I have an old TI-81 lying around.  I'm sorry to admit, I generaly use my phone.

[McWilloughby]

I do what I can on paper and do some trig in my head if it doesn't need to be accurate (1 or 2 dp). I use a boring Casio fx-991ES+ in my exams, spreadsheets/Mathematica/Matlab in the lab and a Casio 9850 that almost never gets used as the aforementioned software have superceded it somewhat and programmable calculators are banned in exams here.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

TI-83+ Silver Teachers Edition (with the ViewScreen port) and a TI-86.

[CPTBadAss]

TI-83 is my weapon of choice at work.

[jdcarpe]

TI-81 that I bought direct from TI, before they were available in stores.

Really want an HP 11C, but I'm wary of buying one from eBay.

[SpAmRaY]

I still have my trusty TI-92 somewhere, a TI-86 and I think maybe even a TI-84, but these days the HP 35S gets the job done.

[inteli722]

TI-81 that I bought direct from TI, before they were available in stores.

Really want an HP 11C, but I'm wary of buying one from eBay.

I've got a couple of HP calculators around here. I know I have a 22S, and I think there's an 11C around here somewhere as well. If not, it's an HP calculator that looks absurdly similar.

[longweight]

um.... real world... we use excel.. and matlab..   maybe some other stat pack for tradition but, the handheld has really been relegated as merely a "learning-tool" for children..

lol

[CPTBadAss]

Speaking of old calculators...anyone know where I can get a decent slide rule?

[jdcarpe]

Speaking of old calculators...anyone know where I can get a decent slide rule?

If you had asked this before I moved, I would have given you one. I gave it to an acquaintance who collects them.

[CPTBadAss]

Today I have the sad

[inteli722]

um.... real world... we use excel.. and matlab..   maybe some other stat pack for tradition but, the handheld has really been relegated as merely a "learning-tool" for children..

Pff. Reverse Polish Notation, man. Love it.

[CPTBadAss]

Reverse polish notation hurts my head....but somehow slide rules dont.

[inteli722]

Reverse polish notation hurts my head....but somehow slide rules dont.

I used it for a little bit on a 48g emulator, and I really liked it.

[CPTBadAss]

So seriously, anyone know where I could find a slide rule? I kinda want one for giggles. And 'cause they're cool.

Funny how I want one now...I didn't even know they existed until high school haha.

[inteli722]

So seriously, anyone know where I could find a slide rule? I kinda want one for giggles. And 'cause they're cool.

Funny how I want one now...I didn't even know they existed until high school haha.

I knew about them, but never really understood how the worked until high school.

I figure Fleabay would have some. Other than that, you'll probably have to ask google.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Slide+Rules

[SpAmRaY]

um.... real world... we use excel.. and matlab..   maybe some other stat pack for tradition but, the handheld has really been relegated as merely a "learning-tool" for children..

Pff. Reverse Polish Notation, man. Love it.

+1

[rowdy]

At home:



I also have a slide rule somewhere.  Me and a mate went to the trouble in high school of learning how to use them.

[mnpikey]

Have had my HP 48GX since new and still works perfectly.



Been thinking about getting on of these new HP Prime calculators though!

[CPTBadAss]

So seriously, anyone know where I could find a slide rule? I kinda want one for giggles. And 'cause they're cool.

Funny how I want one now...I didn't even know they existed until high school haha.

I knew about them, but never really understood how the worked until high school.

I figure Fleabay would have some. Other than that, you'll probably have to ask google.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Slide+Rules

Yeah I did the standard eBay/Google search but I was hoping someone knew off the top of their head. Oh well, the hunt goes on XD.

Have had my HP 48GX since new and still works perfectly.

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Been thinking about getting on of these new HP Prime calculators though!

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Wow that new HP Prime calculator is so fancy @.@.

[inteli722]

Have had my HP 48GX since new and still works perfectly.

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Been thinking about getting on of these new HP Prime calculators though!

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I've actually been debating between the two after I found out about the Prime. When/if you get one, please post a comparison as far as quality and button comparison between the two. RPN and CAS? Yes please!

EDIT: Not exactly debating, since I know I want a 48G (I like those older HP calculators. They have a sort of charm to them), but I'd like to know if a Prime would be a suitable replacement in the meantime, since I also need a CAS calculator in a couple years for Calculus.

[davkol]

I have a TI-89 Titanium in the closet, but never use it. I don't need it in classes, and don't have time to play with it at home. And Casio fx-570ES, that I have had since high school, is a bit easier to use.

In the end, I just keep a Python shell and GNU Octave on my desktop.

[Melvang]

I have a Ti-86 for home when I am doing my CAD stuff.  At work I use a Ti-36X. 

Would like to add that calculators still very much h have a use outside of learning tools for kids.most of the stuff I use it for is trig when I need a conveyor at a specific angle and need to figure leg lengths and shaft alignments especially when the plant wants sub .002" tolerance.

[fohat.digs]

It looks like a ton of slide rules on ebay. I am so old that I learned on them in both high school and college. They are surprisingly accurate, as long as you can keep the decimal in the right place.

[ideus]

80's engineers are used to RPN HP calcs. I was a collector of them for some time. Now I stick with an HP10BII+ for handy calculations. In general PC handy makes a calculator almost not required, so it is just a sort of nostalgia thing.

[Melvang]

Could someone explain this RPN?

[fohat.digs]

"Reverse Polish Notation" is a joke name.

Instead of "one plus one equals two" you go "one enter one enter plus" and the answer "two" comes up.

Personally, I hate it.

[inteli722]

"Reverse Polish Notation" is a joke name.

Instead of "one plus one equals two" you go "one enter one enter plus" and the answer "two" comes up.

Personally, I hate it.

It's not a joke name if you look up the origin. Polish notation is a way somebody came up to write equations, where you say the operator, and the operated digits ie + 1 1, which would give you two. Reverse Polish Notation puts the operator at the end.


You don't have to like RPN, but that doesn't mean that others don't. I think it's great, as do many engineers. Once you learn it, it makes solving longer problems quicker, but it makes solving short equations like 2 times 2, 40 plus 5, etc longer. Some swear by it, some hate it.

[CPTBadAss]

My team lead's calculator at work uses reverse Polish notation. I remember spending like 20 minutes trying to figure it out. I couldn't get it to work and he told me he couldn't get "normal" calculators to work anymore lol.

[davkol]

LISP master race... well, without the parenthesis.

Anyway, pre-/postfix is way more efficient than infix.

[rowdy]

This one time we had a programming exercise to convert an expression from infix to RPN.

Or was it the other way?

[Dubsgalore]

TI-84 Plus, ever since 6th grade

[inteli722]

TI-84 Plus, ever since 6th grade

Ya gotta hop on that RPN train, man!

[zemp]

alot of people in canada have a ti83/84 due to the fact they are the standard(one of the standards) in canadian tests.

[rowdy]

TI-84 Plus, ever since 6th grade

Ya <enter> RPN train <enter> gotta hop on, man!

FTFY

You <enter> an RPN fanatic <enter> call yourself?

[SpAmRaY]

My team lead's calculator at work uses reverse Polish notation. I remember spending like 20 minutes trying to figure it out. I couldn't get it to work and he told me he couldn't get "normal" calculators to work anymore lol.

If your used to using RPN it is hard to use a 'normal' calculator again. I'm always thinking I'll just use windows calculator but it never works right for me

[rowdy]

My team lead's calculator at work uses reverse Polish notation. I remember spending like 20 minutes trying to figure it out. I couldn't get it to work and he told me he couldn't get "normal" calculators to work anymore lol.

If your used to using RPN it is hard to use a 'normal' calculator again. I'm always thinking I'll just use windows calculator but it never works right for me

I bet Yoda can only use RPN calculator )

[SpAmRaY]

My team lead's calculator at work uses reverse Polish notation. I remember spending like 20 minutes trying to figure it out. I couldn't get it to work and he told me he couldn't get "normal" calculators to work anymore lol.

If your used to using RPN it is hard to use a 'normal' calculator again. I'm always thinking I'll just use windows calculator but it never works right for me

I bet Yoda can only use RPN calculator )

number enter first then number enter you must

[Findecanor]

I use the Python console.
... or my vintage TI-1200 with tiny LED digits under a magnifying lens strip.

[ekw808]

HP12C

[SUPER432]

I think RPN makes a lot more sense with calculators that have more than one line of numbers. The single line LCD RPN calcs presume that you already know numbers get pushed into a stack and how everything works. Or that you'll read a manual to figure out basic arithmetic operations on a calculator, which is preposterous in 2013.

With regard to the timeframe, I think RPN made a lot more sense in the time it was invented. There probably weren't calculators capable of automatically decomposing huge nested equations, and I feel like it is easier with RPN.

For those who like RPN and use *nix, Orpie is a cool command line RPN calculator that you should check out if you don't already use it!