HP 35s for you RPN engineers 7

[aggman]

Check out HPs new scientific calculator...

http://h10010.

http://www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/215348-215348-64232-20037-215351-3442983.html

I don't want to get a big discussion about how they don't build them like they used to but I bought one because I smoke through a HP 33s about once a year. I never have had one of the older 32s or any of their bigger graphing calcs. I bought the 33s when I was taking the PE exam and got stuck on the RPN. I just opened the box this morning but it appears that it has a much more "classic" feel to it and the buttons seem much better. It seems to follow the same designs as the little RPN financial calculator they sell. I didn't know if others who use RPN had seen this latest offering so I thought I would post it on here.

 

[Lutfi]

RARSWC,

The leather case idea was actually taken from the slide rules. I recall having my slide rule case attached to my belts. This brings good memories for those of us who used slide rules.

Correct me if I am wrong, didn’t manufactures in early calculator days, call them slide rules!!


Regards,
Lutfi

 

[271828]

The 35s has a nice case for field use, IMO. It zips open and holds the calculator in place with a little elastic strap that doesn't get in the way. It even has a net on the other side that can hold a small triangle, piece of paper, or whatever.

 

[Dinosaur]

Yes the earliest calculators were marketed as electronic slide rules. The earliest could do little more than addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. A good slide rule was more capable with trig and other functions. However, that soon changed.

The mention of so many "old" HPs still in use is a testament to the quality of these little wonders. How many other manufacturers of calculators can provide a list of owners that have been using one of theirs for the past 25 years or more?

 

[jdog1]

I think maybe I'm the only person in the world who likes the HP33s. I used a 48GX all through school, then I went to take the PE exam and found out it was not allowed. So, I got a 33s and grumbled about it like everyone else. For the PE exam, it was the only RPN calculator allowed, and therefore, the only option. After using it non-stop preparing for the exam for a few months, I really started to like it. Now I use it every single day and my trusty ol' 48 stays in the drawer except for really nasty big equations that I run across once a year. The 33s isn't perfect, but I've had really good luck with it and like using it. Even the silver/bent-keypad look has grown on me; kind of retro-60's Buck Rogers-ish. The feel of the keys on my 33s is excellent, more firm than the 48, but I've never missed a key stroke.

I did have a problem with the #4 key sticking. I called up HP, they sent a new one out immediately, I had the new one in hand in just a few days, I sent the broken one in and haven't had a problem since. You can't ask for better service than that.

I think more than anything, the 33s is the unwitting victim of the pent up frustrations of militant HP enthusiasts, disgruntled at HP for not reintroducing their personal favorite HP calculator, and worse still, for introducing the new calculator in silver.

The 35s has gotten a much warmer reception than the 33s for two main reasons: the big enter key, located where it's supposed to be and...it's brown. That's pretty much it. The 35s carries over several of the faults of the 33s. The one that I'd like to see fixed the most is an improved screen; more pixels for better characters and less glare.

I'll get a 35s just because of the cool, classic HP look and because it's essentially a dressed up 33s, which I already like. I will miss the X^2 key of the 33s. I'll just have to put up with the extra workload of pressing a shift key before pressing the X^2 button.

 

[271828]

jdog, you won't be sorry if you get a 35s. I've had mine for 2 months and it's wonderful. I really can't think of a single problem with it.

As for losing x^2, I just hit Enter then multiply and that takes care of it.

 

[ron9876]

Long time HP user. Tried 33's and the keys kept messing up. Got the 35s. Nice except I have some problems with not always getting what I keyed in. Decimel point in particular.

 

[haynewp]

see if there is a "keytime" option, I know there is one for the HP 49 that I could adjust. The default setting was slower than I typed so it wouldn't always register the numbers.

 

[271828]

ron, I think you should consider sending it back for a replacement. I've read many reviews of the 35s and have never heard another one like that. The keys all seem perfect to me. haynewp, I don't believe it has any setting such as keytime that's on the 49g and 50g--could be wrong, though.

Over 2 months with my 35s and I'm still loving it. I've been told that I'm about the pickiest calculator user in existence, so that says something! I only have one teeny, tiny little gripe and that's RPN vs RPL. With RPL, there's no need to consider the order of operation due to the infinite stack. With RPN, one really needs to consider the order as to not run out of stack. That's fine in general, but is a slight problem for one particular case: back-solving for a variable in a many term, relatively complicated equation. I've been using RPL so long, I can back out a single variable of 99.999% of equations that I see. With RPN, one must go from inside->out. If the back-solution is complicated enough, I can't visualize where will be the inside! I have to write out an equation every now and then taht I could punch through using RPL. This is seldom enough that I'm willing to live with it.

 

[DaveAtkins]

I have been using my 35s for about a month now and am fairly happy with it. Much better construction than the 33s (I went through two of those and the keys went bad on both). My only complaint about the 35s--you have to use the shift key to do x^2, and to store numbers. Otherwise, it is working out well for me.

DaveAtkins

 

[bjb]

Ron, I would definitley send it back for a replacement. I think the 35s is a good calculator. I have had no problems with mine

I've been using the 35s since the beginning of August, and am so far very pleased with it. My daily use calculator used to be the HP42s, but I actually like using the 35s more. My only gripes are that I don't like the "STO" function being shifted, and for me, the key dedicated to complex numbers is a waste.

What I really like are its programming abilities, the ability to store equations, and the return to the chamfered keys of the 11c and 15c. I have the direct equation for area of steel (from CRSI)in my equation list, and use it all the time. I also have a nice library of programs for steel, masonry, and wood design.

 

[MarcbSE]

271828,

Does the 50g have the keytime command? I've looked and can't seem to find it, but I would love to change it if I can. I'm constantly missing repeating numbers because it doesn't register fast enough.

 

[271828]

MarcbSE, it sure does, although I forgot how to set it. Go over to

http://www.hpmuseum.org

and search through their forum. This topic has been discussed multiple times over there.

I sold my 50g because I'm too much of a wimp to deal with those stiff, long traveling keys. I REALLY like the 50g other than its keys. That's one amazingly powerful machine! I went from my 48G, which I used for 10 years or more to the 50g and immediately had many times the errors. After 2 months, setting keytime, etc., I still stunk using it, so I bought a 35s.

 

[271828]

bjb and Dave, I'm with you on the sto being shifted. That's really too bad. As for x^2 being shifted, I'm totally with you there. HP's attitude is that astute RPN users would just hit enter then multiply to square something. This is fine as long as one's not short on registers.

I like the imaginary number, though, because one can do rect->polar very fast using it with abs and arg. The only other way (besides trig, LOL) to do that is to change display options, which stinks IMO.

I wish they would have made room for x^2 and sto by shifting (), GTO, or XEQ.

 

[MarcbSE]

271828, I also bought the 50g after losing my 48gx on an airplane...

I've been very happy with it except for the keytime issue. I'll check on the hpmuseum forum. Thanks!

 

[connect2]

Went to the hp museum site, found my original 11C, but couldn't find my current crapped out hp32SII, yes thats roman numerals II at the end. Staring at both calculators at the moment ... both caput. Anybody else have a 32SII? Starting to worry, had it for about the last 6 years. Is this a phantom calculator of dubious origin I've been using for the last six years? Can't wait for my new 35s which is on the way, apparently on a slow boat from China. Totally lost without the RPN. You have no idea how many times I've checked and re-checked and calculated and recalculated in bits and pieces, scribbling numbers on a piece of paper, even pulled out my math handbook to check tig no's using this Texas Instrument thing, tan 45 deg = 1.00, I think, better check it. You know we used slide rules in 1st year engineering, where is that sliderulera guy when you need him?

 

[haynewp]

I think I remember you enter the desired keytime on the stack, like "450", then enter "-->keytime", all without the quotes.

 

[MarcbSE]

haynewp,
Yes, that is correct. It took me a little time to find the appropriate format to enter the "-->keytime" but found it. Thanks for the post!

 

[bjb]

271828,

I prefer the way polar to rect conversions were handled on the 32SII. I normally do my conversions manually though. Another small gripe I have with the 35s is that the Theta symbol looks too much like the number 8.

On ballance though, I think the 35s is a good calculator, and I hope it shows that HP is back on track with its calculators. It's good to see so much response to this thread regarding HP calculators, I hope that means that sales of the 35s and the 50g are good, and that we can look forward to RPN being available for a long time. I'd be lost without an RPN calculator.

Having X^2 being shifted doesn't bother me because every HP I've ever owned has been that way except the 33s.

 

[haynewp]

I just ordered the HP 35S from HP online shopping. For anybody else the got theirs through HP, did they require a signature for FEDEX delivery?

 

[msquared48]

What size and type of batteries do the 35's take? And, do es it have a support package of a printer similar to the 41 series?

MADE IN CHINA???????????????????? Somehow I cannot logically think of the Chinese as reverse Polish.

Mike McCann
McCann Engineering