HP Calcs Live On Under PalmOS

philipsblows writes "Emulators for HP Calcs have been around for a while, but HP is actually getting behind this one, allowing ROM images to be included to support emulation of 48sx, 48gx and 49g (all separately and at the same time) on your PalmOS device. Unfortunately, it has to be a color device, but this is great news anyone who would otherwise miss out on using an HP calc. Check out Power48 here." And unlike a calculator, the software is free (and Free).

But

[deadsaijinx*]

can it do reverse polish notation? Seriously, that would be so sweet.

Anywayz, I hate the Company Hewletcompagergishmess. Their computers are flaming shit piles. But there calcs rival Ti (some argue that they are far bettr) and it is totally cool that they are supporting emulation (unlike the console game industry - as if they are still making money off of the SNES!). But the coolest part is that it's OSS, so I could just program it to do reverse polish notation if i really wanted to.

FP (okay, first relavent post)?

Nice.....

[Neophytus]

Now if only console manufacturers would get behind emulation development for vintage consoles. Sure, you can still buy games for the SNES on eBay or your local odds and ends store but none of that money will be going back to Nintendo or the developers.
Actually on thinking about it much of the nintendo GBA catalogue...

A color Palm isnt cheap

[nurb432]

For the price of ONE of those you can have a pocket full of REAL HP's...

But for those that have one already, its damned cool.

Though you cant really replace a *real* keyboard for lots of number crunching..

Lives on?

[praxis]

I never realized that HP calculators died? Have they stopped selling them? Granted I've had my 48gx since 1995 and never looked at another calculator since then. What do people use these days? I've actually seen fewer calculators used as they get replaced with Matlab or Maple or Mathematica being more and more at hand for people, but I still find myself reaching for my 48gx even when I am near a computer just because they're so convenient.

Pocket PC absurdity

[panurge]

HPQ sells pocket PC devices. This emulator runs on PalmOs.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the relevant bit of the HP marketing dept. Is this the start of something new? Is HP going to start bringing out PalmOs devices or Linux PDAs?
So few questions, so many answers.

Reverse Polish Notation and Stacking Languages

[GregBildson]

As far as I know, the unique feature of HP calculators is that they use reverse polish notation by default so I expect that is what this one uses.

RPN is similar to stacking languages where the variables are pushed onto the stack first and then the operators are applied to the appropriate stack entries. So, a + b x c should be entered as b c x a + and (a + b) x c should be entered as a b + c x

Similar to other stacking languages like Postscript and SmallTalk.

Note that this should be the same as the desktop "dc" command on linux except that dc is only good for integers (and you need to enter "=" to see the result). I routinely add a few extra significant digits when using dc so that I can deal with fractional values. Works nicely occasionally when doing command line scripting.

Re:But

[neurostar]

I completely agree. I love my HP48G. I wouldn't trade if for any other calculator. (Well, maybe for a 48GX ;) ). I love RPN. In fact, I've become so accustomed to it, I have difficulty using a TI-pile-of-shit when I'm forced to.

I also love the equation library. It's very useful, especially with the pictures.

neurostar

Re:But

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting you mentioned TI calculator being dropped in a lake. As it so happens during my high school days I was at a summer camp and dropped my TI calculator in a nearby lake. The calculator die to say the least. Well my parent spent quite a bit of money on this calculator and it was the second calculator that I have destroyed/lost. I went to a K-Mart store and stole a brand new spanking TI calculator. Dumbass me wasn't aware at time that the damn thing had one of those things that sound the alarms. Next thing I know the alarm sounded. To make a long story short I had to make an appearance in front of a juvi judge and was sentenced to 40 hours of community service.
The moral of the story is that TI calculators die easily and don't get caught while stealing.

Does NOT work on most PalmOS devices...

[Manuka]

I tried installing it on my colour palm, and it requires a High-res Palm device. This is pretty much a Clié-only application. Pity it doesn't work on my i300, since most palm-based calculator apps out there are fscking worthless.

Re:But

[Uber Banker]

I love my TI85. It's still going strong, sitting next to my monitor right now. Totally sentimental value.

I learnt to program on this thing for hell's sake! It still has the same programs i typed into it when i was 16... fractal generators, data calculation routines, inbuilt poly solver!, i even made a 2 player game with a friend via the commumication cable!!!

I never tried a HP, so can't compare, but damn I live my TI, it released my geekness, never harnessed, so will be forever grateful to TI.

Not sure I'd like an emulator though, the physical thing, the difficulty in typing, the display pitch... It was all in the package, give me 100 emulators and I'll still prefer my TI85.

Which TIs have you even played with?

[pr0ntab]

I don't think you've been properly introduced to the better of the TI calcs... I've got 'em both:

A TI-83 which is overclocked... (!) Still works like a charm after having its guts ripped out repeatedly. Now, I didn't drop it in a lake, but it's been in the shower... so... hehe

And then, the workhorse, my beloved TI-89. Let me just say to all the HP holier-than-thou people out there: AOS ownz.
So it doesn't have RPN (but I remember seeing a few packages on ticalc.org)... but it does everything else. I mean jesus, it's a frickin' 68010.

I get real work done with it too... my main folder has about a hundred functions and programs sittin around; i forget what half of them do. ;P

Re:Does NOT work on most PalmOS devices...

[Registered Coward v2]

Try landware's FinCalc - a decent calc that does RPN and some scientific calcs. I used it on my PalmPilot Pro in B-school. (along with my HP48g and 11c.). I got the 48g for $20 as a demo unit, so it repalced my 41cv, which repalced my 45. Still have them all, even the plastic box and leather case for my 45. Ah, the memories...

Oh, lighten up

[swb]

First of all, anyone running a science class who thinks that forcing a bunch of rote formula memorization is "learning" isn't doing very much teaching.

Second of all, everybody that actually makes a living with math and science cheats every day, by referring to reference books, studies, conferring with others, and so on.

We should be teaching people how to *learn* by using reference materials, not waste storage neurons on things that are already written down.

FWIW, when I was in college (circa 1985), the physics teacher allowed us to bring in a 3x5 card with anything we want written on it. We got the guy with the best penmanship in our study group to write ALL the formulas we could think of, complete with notes, examples and so on on a 8x11 sheet of paper which we then reduced on a photocopier to 3x5.

Again, you could call this cheating, or you could give us credit for innovation.

Re:Which TIs have you even played with?

[Anonymous Coward]

pretty much all of them. 83's and 89's included.

Bottom line is for real work, especially field work, they don't come close to the HP's for several reasons

HP's win on robustness by far, with possible exception of the 48* series.

They lose on overall speed, but it doesn't matter. If you are doing anything where that really hurts you, you shouldn't be running it on a calc anyway. For the sort of calculations calculators are actually good at, HP's are just fine.

There layout is much, much. better. And yes, RPN input is superior. The scripting language in the 48's is brilliant for calculations. Who cares if it is a pain to write games in it.

The numerical/math library on the 28's 48's is the best anyone has ever put in a calculator. It has some useless crap (3D vis on a calculator is pathetic, regardless of the calc).

So yes, I have used the TI's. And they don't measure up in real world applications.

If you want to play games in the back of your highschool math class, get a GBA ferchristsake. If you want a serious field tool for an engineer, geologist, whathaveyou, buy a calculator --- do yourself a favour and make it an HP (while you still can!

Re:HP11c 4EVA!

[SN74S181]

I've had an HP-11c since about 1983 that I still dote on. And a HP-15c (the 11c's big brother, identical except with more memory) that I got at a swapmeet for ten bucks. For years I ran it on these smaller around but the same thickness hearing aid batteries I got as free samples at work.

It unnerves me how much people are willing to pay for 11s and 15s on eBay.

Re:But

[Anonymous Coward]

TI calculators may have had better toy value than HP's, but they were never even close to HP's as calculators.

Sure, they were popular with highschool and college kids, but people who do real work with calculators are pretty much unanimously in favour of HP's. Of course, this is a small and shrinking group of people, which is why HP is out of the calc business.

My brother was an engineering lead at TI designing custom silicon for big corporate clients. He, and all his colleagues, used HP calculators back in the day...