The beauty of that statement, is that only the kewl kidz will get it.
Sort of like my favorite geek statement:
Posted on 10/05/2022 5:20:34 PM PDT by DoodleBob
Whether you’re a middle schooler starting Algebra I, a college student enrolled in a calculus course, or a professional accountant, having a dedicated calculator is essential. Specifically designed for simple straightforward use, these user-friendly devices allow you to perform a wide range of calculations quickly, and powerful models can even tackle extremely complicated calculus equations. And yeah, when it comes to simple math, sure you can use your smartphone, but there’s something about the physical buttons and single-function design that still makes basic calculators useful to have around.
The Best Calculators
BEST OVERALL TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator $129 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
BEST FOR STUDENTS 16-Digit Scientific Calculator $25 SHARP
BEST VALUE FX-9750II Graphing Calculator $80 CASIO
BEST FOR ACCOUNTING 12c Financial Calculator $68 HP
BEST BUDGET LS-82Z Handheld Calculator $9 CANON
What to Consider
While calculators have all sorts of bells and whistles these days, there are really only two things (aside from price) with which you need to be concerned when shopping for one.
Capabilities
From graphing to scientific to more basic models, there are different types of calculators with different capabilities. Be sure to choose one that will serve your particular needs. Additionally, if you plan to use it for college entrance exams, make sure the model you are going to purchase is approved for use during testing.
Battery Life/Power Source
Speaking of college entrance exams, nothing could be worse than having your calculator run out of power on you before you finish. Calculators can be battery-powered, solar-powered, or a hybrid of both. Whatever type you choose, make sure you can rely on the model you've selected to stay charged for long stretches of time.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
True!
RPN is the only way. I used an HP 32SII and then an HP-49G. Love it. So many comments are right. Once you use RPN, algebraic calculators are almost impossible to use.
I used to have the Sharp that had 24 characters (PC-1211). Long calculator. Looked cool though. Also had a TI-55 back in the day. Not bad either.
Find and load the 12C app for your smartphone.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hp-12c-financial-calculator/id503641946
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hp.hp12cpt&hl=en_US&gl=US
In the grand scheme of things, the software is dirt cheap.
It is easy. It all depends where you put the operator.
Prefix +, 2, 2
Infix 2, +, 2
Postfix 2, 2, +
People like Infix because it is the way they were taught arithmetic. Two PLUS Two EQUALS Four.
But Postfix works best on calculators and computers. You just need to master the idea of a “Stack” and pushing numbers onto the stack and popping them off the stack.
Clear now?
THAT is serious business!
Our oldest son with double engineering degrees had the HP41C we had given him his senior year, and it was stolen from his pick up a couple years ago. They stole his company Apple phone and discarded it after it was blocked.
He found a retired engineer and bought his HP41C.
Now, that calculator is never is never left in any vehicle or on his desktop. It stays on his hip in its holder until he comes home from work for the day.
That’s my dad’s calculator. He is a PhD in math ;)
>> the IRR calc is instantaneous vs the hand-held “running...” message as it iterates to an answer.
That’s because your smartphone has more computing power than all of NASA during Apollo.
My old HP-21 is still around somewhere. I played with it a lot after getting it, and managed to accidentally derive the mathematical constant “e” (2.71828...) My method impressed a university professor who showed it to a math professor friend, who told him that yes, that was one way to derive “e.” So someone else had already discovered it. Boo.
I think I still have my HP 17 b II around somewhere. Used about half of what it could do but it was very dependable.
Back in my college days all the science majors used slide rules. I still have mine though I would have to relearn using it.
“RPN makes my head hurt...”
I cannot use a normal calculator, they are like polish to me.
I may still have an rpn Ti calc somewhere.
Yes I have an 11c 12c 15c 16c and 41cv (with nav pac that supposedly belonged to some Hazelwood guy, but that is a whole other long story)
Thank god there are some decent android rpn phone apps, not as good as the windows phone app was but it works.
Hoping my HP-15 and -42S last forever,
I do not like the dumbed down stuff these days.
RPN or die!
I remember a “Math Magic” article in Popular Science Magazine around 1962 or 1963. It addressed how to mentally simplify problems to get to quick answers.
In engineering school, we would use logs like you described to quickly get to an approximate answer. That way you knew if your final solution made sense. We also mastered “dimensional analysis” for dealing with the units on all sorts of variables and constants. If you couldn’t get the units to work out, you were off base to start with.
I’ve taken up lawn care as a hobby and I’m appalled at the huge mishmash of units for chemicals to be applied to the lawn. Pints of Product/Acre, Pints of Active Ingredient (AI)/Acre, Grams AI/Hectare, Ounces/1,000 Sq Ft (abbreviated “M”) and lots more. I’ve had to make up a spreadsheet to normalize all the different units on all the products I’m using. I eventually get down to how many ounces of product I need to add to X gallons of water. It’s not rocket science, but all those tools I learned years ago come in handy. While it’s not rocket science, you can easily screw up and burn up your lawn.
“RPN input is very confusing to the casual user.”
Sort of like manual transmissions.
The beauty of that statement, is that only the kewl kidz will get it.
Sort of like my favorite geek statement:
Why not use a slide rule instead
“Sharp that had 24 characters” — LOL. I’ve got a lawn irrigation app (Hunter Hydrawise) and they report out all 24 digits of precision for my water consumption. Forget the fact that the flow meter probably has all of two significant digits. The app designers (probably young kids with zero real world experience) coded up all 24 digits for me.
The problem with that is it slows down comprehension, quick scans of data and comparisons. I’d rather read “20.1 gallons” or even “20 gallons” than “20.156823493 gallons.” Who cares if I put down 20 or 20.1 gallons of water? It doesn’t make a lick of difference.
I wrote to the company about the absurdity of their water usage reports, but they blew me off. It would be such an easy fix for them, too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.