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The Future of RPN Calculators

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the back-in-effect dept.

Noksagt writes "HP's recent release of the 33s won't be the last RPN calculator. Former HPers at Hydrix are hyping an impressive Linux-based PDA/calculator, named Qonos. They have a survey up regarding features, etc. More information can be found at comp.sys.hp48 or The Museum of HP Calculators. A new open hardware project called OpenRPN has also begun. Their mission is to produce horizontal and vertical format scientific RPN calcs and later a graphing calc."

3 of 301 comments (clear)

  1. maxima by John+Meacham · · Score: 5, Informative

    maxima.sf.net is a truely awesome symbolic algebra program, it is derived from one of the first ever 'modern' computer algebra systems and was recently made open source.

    If it could be put into a calculator, that would rock.

    --
    http://notanumber.net/
  2. More details and pictures by Warlock48 · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's more details and pictures on hpcalc.

    Quote:

    Operating system:
    eCos, running in 512KB SRAM and providing one month of battery life
    Linux, running in 64MB of SDRAM and providing considerably more than a day of battery life

    Other software:
    Emulation of both the HP 49G and the TI-89
    Advanced math software: Gnuplot, Giac/Xcas (supposedly better than Maple), MathsExplorer
    PDA software: calendar, tasks, notes, time management
    Datalogging capabilities

    Processor:
    Intel PXA 263 XScale processor, running at 400 MHz
    32MB of on-chip flash memory
    32-bit data bus

    Display:
    Grayscale 3" 320x240
    Full support already exists for a color screen to be offered at a later date

    Other hardware:
    Mono speaker and microphone
    Stereo audio input and ouput ports
    Keyboard with tactile feedback designed for fast, accurate data entry
    Compact Flash Type II slot
    SDIO slot
    IrDA port
    USB client and host ports, supporting external keyboards, webcams, and other devices

    Optional sled:
    Vernier probe compatible
    8 analog I/O channels
    16 digital/sonic I/O channels
    Extra high-capacity lithium ion battery
    DB-9 serial port

    Price:
    Over US$350

  3. Re:The future of RPN calculators... by pclminion · · Score: 5, Informative
    First, what he posted is the Chain Rule, written in Leibniz notation.

    Second, you've committed the atrocious sin of mixing Leibniz notation with Newton prime notation. What a horrific mess you've created.

    The proper way to write it would be:

    h(x) = f(g(x))
    h'(x) = f'(g(x))*g'(x)

    I think this should help explain why the Leibniz notation is so popular, because in the Newtonian notation, a prime can only bind to a name, not an arbitrary algebraic expression. Hence you are required to introduce the additional function h(x) just to allow the notation to work.

    Anyway, you're hardly qualified to school us in calculus.