Hewlett Packard HP50G Graphing Calculator

Hi All,I have owned a TI89T for a couple of years now and I have found it to be very good, generally it's easy to use and has a very good build quality. Recently though, I was surfing Amazon and I noticed the TI89T competitor, the hp50g going for half price so I bought one, I found it be the most complicated graphing calculator that I have ever used. Just to learn to navigate around takes in access of two weeks solid study, and if you leave it for any length of time and decide to come back to it again you will find you have forgotten how to use it.However, I have persavered with it on many occasions and all you've got as reference are 3 hp manuals to work through, there are no 3rd party guide books, in English, available to buy which might have helped.hp boast that their calculator can work in algerbriac mode or RPN mode, however all the examples in the guide manuals are in RPN mode with very little in algerbriac mode, having two modes just serves to confuse you further. On the programming side the hp50g uses RPL programming language(note, this isn't simplistic basic language), I spent 4 days solid just to learn how to do very basic programs, lots of fustration.The build quality isn't as high standard as the TI89T but it is adiquate for the job, one nice feature (and there are many) the hp50g has, it allows you to write rpl programs on your pc, using Windows notepad, and then download the finished program to your hp50g using hp connect software via the calculators usb.Assuming you know your way around the hp50g it's actually got more to offer than the TI89T particularly with a price tag of around £75.00 all in but be for warned you need to spend at least 2 weeks solid on it before it starts to bear fruit.I've just found out today that the hp50g can convert between Laplace transform and inverse Laplace transform, its one heck of powerful graphing calculator and is noticably faster than the T89T.T89T currently sells at around £150, whilst the greater function support hp50g=£75.00If you do decide on a hp50g be prepared for a very high steep learning curve and some dedication.As of 8/3/13, I've just completed a RPL program which converts Butterworth filter polynomial coefficients into resistor/capacitor values for active bandpass filter design, where, using a scientific calculator would take about 15 minutes to compute and alot of faffing, with my 50g, it takes less than 1 second to compute. The hp50g calculator is now my calculator of choice.CheersCommie

Let me start this review by mentioning that I am not a calculator aficionado. Until now, the most complex calculator I've used is a Casio scientific model for college. So I won't be comparing this to the 49G or any of TI's implementations.I've been humming and hawing over getting one of these for a while now, and with them no longer being produced I decided that I may as well take that last chance. Having completed an EE degree in which the use of a graphing calculator was not permitted in exams, I was unsure of how useful it would be - especially considering the required learning curve. But alas, the technophile in me was intrigued to see how it worked regardless.I must admit - I'm a convert. Once you settle in to RPN mode, which the calculator is built for, day to day calculations are an absolute breeze. It's very satisfying watching your calculations build up step by step on the stack - it makes it far easier to spot mistakes, especially in more complex calculations, as opposed to just throwing in the entire formula and hitting equals. But the best thing about this calculator is that when that's what you want to do, you can still do that. The calculator is extremely versatile and customizable, and no matter what your tastes or field of work/study, given the time you will find a way to have it work exactly how you like it.I haven't delved too deeply into the programming side of things yet, but in the brief experimentation I have done it's very intuitive! The graphing functionality is excellent and very handy for simple functions (I'm still more comfortable with doing complex graphing on computers though). The CAS system, I don't know what to say. If you've used CAS before, then it's probably fine. If you're like me and you've always done math by hand, then it is honestly amazing. I'm amazed at the things this calculator can do, to be honest. It's well able to factorize and expand or numerically/symbolically solve all manner of equations; it works well with complex numbers and matrices, and it even has proper units built in. You can set the output format as you please (for example to use engineering or scientific notation), and it has a huge array of built in formulae and solvers for all kinds of mathematical problems, along with diagrams of these problems. In the calculator. It's incredible.The keys are lovely to type on and have a satisfying click and I feel like it's well built but not at the expense of being heavy.Long story short, if...- You are the type of person that regularly uses a calculator (to the point that you may like a £75 one over a £10 one),- You have the time available to dedicate to learn how this one works,- You are happy to give the bit of effort to think in terms of the RPN entry system,then go for it! I've personally found it well worth it, and I find myself satisfied using it every day!

This is about the size of a school calculator but a bit thicker. It can be used in 'normal' algebraic mode or you can use its Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) entry methods. It comes with a Quick Start Guide which takes around 3 hours to work through. This is well worth doing if pretty demanding. The full manuals run to nearly 2000 pages and can be downloaded from hp.com for free. Suites of lessons from Universities can also be found under "HP 50g" on the Internet.It has hundreds of in-built programs and formulae but you can still carry it in your pocket. In my experience it is at least as powerful as calculators costing twice the price. Note though that it runs CAS software as well as anything else and so it my not be allowed in some examinations (e.g. London University B.Sc. Mathematics). For professional engineers and mathematicians it has everything you could want. You can even store your own formulae and programs. The only downside is typical of all pocket calculators and that is the screen's text is necessarily small and it be difficult to see unless you have good, close eyesight or powerful glasses. However, the display itself is crystal clear.