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HP Releases New RPN Scientific Calculator

Posted by timothy on from the how-to-pick-up-chicks-part-58008 dept.

majid writes "HP just announced a new calculator, the HP 33S. It supports RPN and algebraic notation, and sports a funky V-shaped design. I don't think it looks as nice as the 33SII it is supposed to replace, and it seems to have rubber keys instead of the wonderful hard plastic keys on older HP calculators, but it's nice to have a new RPN scientific calculator that does not have the intimidating learning (and remembering) curve of the 48 or 49 series. This one just might join my trusty 15C ... The User's manual PDF is available courtesy of Amazon, where it is apparently already No. 85 on the best-selling list."

4 of 402 comments (clear)

  1. Calculators are here to stay by nurb432 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Try using a stupid stylus during a calculus final, or during an engineering project...

    No, for 'real' usage, you cant replace a real calculator with a flat emulation of one.

    That said i do have a RPN emulator for my Toshiba 330, but still, when i have to do more then just a quick calculation, its back to my HP48. ( or 41, that got me thru college.. )

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  2. Talk about price gauging! by Hektor_Troy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The US Internet Price is $49.99

    The campus bookstore at my college (DTU Denmark) charges ... sit down ... $112.61

    Granted, Denmark has a 25% sales tax. Let's add that and compare: $49.99 * 1.25 = $62.49

    I believe the words I'm looking for are "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"

    Good thing I'm not a poor pennyless student ... no - wait ...

    --
    We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
  3. Re:Complaints. by jinxidoru · · Score: 4, Interesting

    HP makes the best calculators by far. I love RPN. The stack is a wonderful computation tool (in fact I'm making an RPN calculator for PalmOS if anyone is interested in helping). Unfortunately, with every new calculator from HP, they continue making the same mistake. They need to improve the hardware. I don't know if anyone has tried symbolic integration on an HP. It's like those coffee commercials. Walk the dog, check the calculator, learn Dutch, check the calculator. The HP49g+ still runs on a 4 bit bus. What's the deal with that. This new calculator is an improvement, using the 6502 processor, but still. There are a lot better processors that are cheap enough. This is why HP can't beat out TI in the calculator industry. TI's interface isn't nearly as good as that of the HP, but TI can actually perform calculations in a reasonable amount of time. Symbolic computation is actually feasible with a TI. Come on HP, give us some power!

  4. Re:LAME... by reidbold · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Full out graphing calculators are of no use to me as a student really. For doing calculations, this is dandy. If I need to do graphing or stats work, then I use the $1000 calculator with a 21" screen right in front of me.

    This is just what the doctor ordered for me really. I've been looking for a sub $100 RPN without graphing, and now I've found it.

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    -Reid