Hewlett Packard HP50G Graphing Calculator

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!

The learning curve for this beast of a calculator is steep indeed. However, once you have a grasp of RPN, it is quite logical and eventually intuitive. The RPN stack is a bit mind-bending at first, but soon you begin to realise the power of it, and now I'm used to it I wouldn't be without it! You can use the more pedestrian (and simpler) algebraic mode, but you're voluntarily wearing handcuffs by doing so. Better to learn the RPN. As others have noted, getting to grips with the thing requires some single minded application, but once you've got off the ground it's straightforward enough. Just about everything is customisable, so if you don't like the way a menu is organised or you want to add something of your own, there's a way of doing it. Unless you really know your way around the calculator's darker recesses, you will need the supplied PDF manuals to hand most of the time (or print it all out). I keep mine on a Kindle so that I can search for stuff easily if there's no full-on PC handy. Some of the more esoteric stuff you might even have to google a bit. I love how I can knock out a simple program in a few minutes, e.g. I wrote a little prog today to convert kilogrammes into stones, pounds and ounces. How handy is that? Then, just for the hell of it, I wrote one to go the other way. This was interesting because the calculator doesn't know what a stone is, but there's a way of telling it that 1 stone is 14 pounds, and then the rest is easy. Whatever your science is, this is the ultimate calculator, unless you really must have colour. My advice: Buy it! Two years later on: I don't retract a single word. Now I'm a seasoned user of the HP50g, I find it a bit painful to use a regular 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=£75.00 If 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. Cheers Commie

The HP 50g is very well made, and more calculator than most people will ever need. Anyone who is acquainted with Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) will appreciate the benefits to be had from using this mode on the calculator (why it hasn't become universal beggars belief). If you don't know RPN, this calculator will talk the more usual lingo. With the earlier HP 49g+, HP supplied a User's Guide, an Advanced Reference Manual, plus a Pocket Guide - all printed and all very useful. With this calculator, they provide a printed User Guide and a more complete guide on CDROM in PDF format. Neither document is as good as the previous versions, and some instructions are confusing (with plenty of typos in the printed manual). I found the communications software on the CDROM would not work at all and had to download the latest version from the internet. Fear not. I'd still thoroughly recommend this product but would advise downloading the HP 49g+ manual from HP's web site to fill in the gaps (there are several extremely useful keyboard shortcuts listed in that manual that go completely unmentioned in any of the HP 50g documentation). I'd also advise checking out the HP forum for this calculator as there are some very knowledgeable users out there with answers to just about all your questions, if they haven't been covered already by previous answers. Get it. Love it.

Update September 2013 My use of the HP50g increases the longer I own it. It is just so easy to switch on and perform complex calculations immediately. I have also added HP50g emulators to my iMac, iPad and iPhone (published by "The Winter Storm"). I believe most people buy HP calculators because they want to use RPN. Whilst comprehensive, the HP50g manuals are confusing because they cover Algebraic and RPN calculations simultaneously. The syntax is difficult enough without the added complexity of switching between coverage of the two systems in the manual. The solution can be found on YouTube. There are several very good videos covering basic set-up up to relatively simple programming. There is also an excellent video tutorial for iPad (Science and Math.com) that demystifies the HP50g for new users, and really makes it easy to unlock its power in the shortest possible time. As I said in my initial review, it is a great calculator but you need to invest time learning the syntax. I should also add that although I have never managed to link my HP50g to my Windows laptop through the supplied software, I have found Mac OSX software that works perfectly. This means I can copy programs between the emulator on my Mac and my physical HP50g. My HP50g has been one of my most productive purchases. Original Review I bought my HP50g to perform engineering calculations quickly where carrying and booting up a computer is impractical, and also so that I could rely on AAA batteries where mains power is unreliable. The HP50g has met all my needs. Initially it appears overly complex and the documentation has errors. One needs to invest a lot of time to start making full use of its power, and I have only scratched the surface during the month I have owned it. Nevertheless, I can already make complex calculations on the HP that would be more difficult or impossible using a spreadsheet, and it is a much cheaper option than MathCad. The built-in equations library, calculus, matrix algebra, constants library, unit conversion and periodic table are all really helpful and I can create my own reference tables in matrices. I have enjoyed relearning some of my maths and engineering theory to be able to program the HP50g. It is simple to save equations and data to SD card and then back-up to computer or "the cloud". I have not yet been able to communicate between HP50g and laptop using the supplied cable and software, but that is probably just another Windows 7 incompatibility. Negatives that prevent a 5 star rating are the documentation and the "feel" of the HP50g. Although it seems robust and has been completely reliable so far, it simply does not have the reassuring solidity of older HP calculators such as the legendary 41C. There is an excellent 41CX emulator app available for the iPhone at a fraction of the price for those who may not want all the features of the HP50g.

I purchased this HP 50g when my HP48G, finally failed after 22years faultless service. The 50g appears to carry over all the functionality of its forerunner. Visually the keyboard layout is slightly different, with the enter now positioned at the bottom right. Which if I'm honest does detract from the flow of operations as the division key is now moved up to the fifth line of keys. In my opinion it would have been better to have just moved the enter from the left of the fifth line to the right & left the basic input keys as they were. However after a months use I'm getting used to this. When you start the HP50 it's set in algebraic mode, so the first task is to set it to RPN & set the system flags. This is quite simple & for those not familiar with the operation there are many excellent videos on the internet detailing how to do this. With a little experimentation you will soon have it tuned exactly to your requirements. These really are excellent 10/10 & still best scientific calculator money can buy.

This is one of the best calculators there is. The price/quality relationship is unbeatable. Full CAS, Equation Library, Solver, Matrices, etc... Everything an EE engineer needs and more. Some may say it's an old school calculator because of the LCD screen, but it saves you from running out of battery in the middle of an exam... :D The SDCard allows for more storage capacity then one will actually required but it still is very useful to store extra apps, libs, etc. It also works in Algebraic and RPN modes which is a big plus (RPN is definitely the fastest way of inserting equations and performing operations). I would recommend this to anyone who needs a powerful CAS calculator and for EE engineers who need to do quick calculations.

I have to say this is one of the best calculators I had ever come across. Although I have yet to learn all od it's features and get used to RPN, I use it all day long when preparing for exams. It is absolutely great for matrix calculations, symbolic calculations and it's pretty fast. I cannot say about graphing part as I found out I have little use for it at the moment and that the graphs look too subpar to really be able to read something from them, but I guess that's not hp50g's problem. Pretty much every calc I have ever seen couldn't do better. If you want graphs, go for Matlab or Grapher. However this calculator should be the one passing the exams instead of me as it is way smarter than I am. It's learning curve can really be a bit steep, but it's pretty well documented on the web, and you should be using the functions that are currently of interest to you in no time really.

HP50g is marketed by Hewlett-Packerd as a handheld calculator, which is in fact a fully programmable computer. It reminds me of the old-time computer machines with black screen and white text; the small cursor line was waiting your input and commands to unleash the computer's power. The relationship with computers was more personal. One had to input and execute code-lines and the user could project its personality onto the machine. Anyways, now we have all these super LCD touch screens in smart phones, loaded with tons of ready-made application; our relation with the electronic device is depersonalized. Furthermore, one could ask itself what is the point of buying a handheld HP50g computer with an old fashioned LCD screen, when it is simpler to load a calculator/graphing plotting application directly into the iphone. Well, the answer is: a big difference! The HP50g is a fully integrated machine for mid and advanced scientific, engineering and programming applications. It is there for you, to help you solve the problem at hand without compromise and distractions (sorry no facebook alerts here). It is lightweight, portable, it boots up fast and ready to be taken anywhere: to school, construction site, vacation, lab, etc. It comes pre-loaded with a few libraries containing hundreds of science and engineering equations. Further free libraries can be downloaded from internet, hpcalc.org, or one hast to write their own. The built quality is great! The soft "clicky" precise feel of the buttons will convince you right from the start that you are dealing with something special. It comes with a HP personalized quality bag. It needs 4 AAA batteries or accumulators. The intensive use will drain out the batteries within 2 weeks. Don't be disappointed here, it is a real computer with a powerful processor, so it is normal that it takes up that much battery. Your mobile phone also needs charging within 2 weeks. I recommend using NiMH rechargeable batteries. It comes with USB connection cable. It has 2 connection ports, USB and RSR232 for interfacing with the HP Mobile Calculating Lab for data collection from Fourier sensors, see [...] This makes it attractive for educational, or mobile measurement purposes as well. It comes with a quick instruction manual as well, which is not sufficient. Further manuals will be found on the CD included and internet tutorials. It takes the user a steep learning curve but for those persistent will discover that is a marvelous piece of engineering without competition in the calculator market. Your partner is the fan website hpcalc.org. On youtube you will also find super tutorials on how to use it, see the posts of rolinychupetin for programming and electrical engineering applications. In conclusion it is a must have for the scientist, engineers, students, financiers and all those that need something more than a cheap throw away handheld calculators. For kids going to school it may be too much, but it depends, some might simply love it and care for it more than their smartphone. A handheld computer for less than 100 Euros is a real bargain.

I am happy with this toy. Powerful, outstanding performance and very nice shape. In my case the engineering expressions are more easy to use.

2012年4月27日時点の価格として10,500円。 以下の書籍とともに購入。 グラフ電卓で数学する グラフ電卓で探る数学の世界

Calculateur trés complet en notation RPN et notation algébrique en prime. Pas moyen d'obtenir des manuels papiers, il faut se contenter du contenu du CD ET télécharger la doc complète sur le site de HP. Dommage qu'Amazon ai collé son code barre sur celui de HP : pas moyen de lire le code produit pour enregistrer ma garantie sur le site de HP! Le numéro de série est lui bien visible. PS n'espérez pas obtenir la réduction que fait HP sur les calculettes à la rentrée des classes : HP vous répondra, comme il me l'a fait, que la calculette n'a pas été achetée en France ...

Calcolatrice magnifica anche se, al giorno d'oggi, sarebbe piu economico e comodo avere la versione software equivalente per gli odierni smartphone. Molto vintage, sopratutto nella grafica lcd e nel suo funzionamento classico rpn, non disdegna prestazioni da cpu ARM quale è quella inclusa ma con programmi specifici in linguaggio C. Insomma, una vera compagna di studi e di svago sia per chi studia e fa ingegneria all'università, sia per chi programma per diletto grazie al potentissimo linguaggi RPL (Reverse Polish-notation Language) con le sue oltre 700 tra comandi ed istruzioni. Una curiosità: c'è chi afferma di avere alimentato il dispositivo con sole batterie ricaricabili da 1,2V anzichè con alkaline standard. Il negozio Calcuso da cui ho preso la calcolatrice è apparso molto serio in puro stile tedesco ;) Tempi di consegna rispettati e prezzo tra i piu bassi. La confezione è arrivata in cartone sigillato e comprensivo di tutti gli accessori previsti oltre al cdrom con i manuali e i drivers per win xp, nonchè una bella e comoda tasca in tessuto rigido nero con clip magnetica per proteggere e riporre la calcolatrice. Un prodotto e un venditore veramente consigliati!!!