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What Is RPN? Why Did/Does HP Use RPN? Learning RPN (1999)

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Re: What Is RPN? Why Did/Does HP Use RPN? Learning RPN (1999)

#31

Post by ghaff »

disabled wrote: post #8

It took awhile to learn RPN in undergrad in electrical engineering. But, once you learn it, it is so much easier to solve problems and it is much more efficient. You never go back, and you are less likely to make errors entering in equations compared to your peers. This is important on timed exams. I prefer to always use RPN. MacOS has an RPN mode on their calculator, which one can activate by pressing command + R. O…

>On my iPhone I have an app called i41CX+

The dev sent me the upgraded one after I reviewed the free(?) one in CNET years ago. I used an HP-41CV with various expansion packs for years. It doesn't have the same feel as the sadly broken physical calculator of course but I still like it. I basically don't anything these days more than simple arithmetic these days though--and if I did I'd use a computer. (I have been tempted by the Swiss Micro models but that would be a pure nostalgia-fueled buy on my part.)

Re: What Is RPN? Why Did/Does HP Use RPN? Learning RPN (1999)

#32

Post by jjav »

disabled wrote: post #8

It took awhile to learn RPN in undergrad in electrical engineering. But, once you learn it, it is so much easier to solve problems and it is much more efficient. You never go back, and you are less likely to make errors entering in equations compared to your peers. This is important on timed exams. I prefer to always use RPN. MacOS has an RPN mode on their calculator, which one can activate by pressing command + R. O…

RPN is so nice and efficient, can't imagine using anything else. I like that the OSX calculator does RPN.

But mostly I use my old 28S which is next to my keyboard always. Also have a 50g on the desk, but I prefer the 28S.

Re: What Is RPN? Why Did/Does HP Use RPN? Learning RPN (1999)

#33

Post by SavantIdiot »

aseerdbnarng wrote: post #13

I was forced to use an HP12C as part of my university degree. Once you get used to RPN it’s quite uncomfortable to switch back. It’s a much more intuitive way to do math once you get over the small hurdle. 15 years later and I’m still using the same calculator!

I bought an HP48 in 1990 junior year in college when it came out. A calculator WAS required for engineering school, but this one made everything way easier. I think it was almost $200. Anyway, once you go RPN, you don't go back. It makes way more sense. It finally died 5 years ago: the keys stopped working. I read about how to repair the keypad but finally had to let go. I had all my crib sheets from engineering school stuffed into the pouch. That calculator was epic. I can't imagine trying to do complex math with a slide rule, even though that's how engineers had done it for ages.

Re: What Is RPN? Why Did/Does HP Use RPN? Learning RPN (1999)

#34

Post by ghaff »

madengr wrote: post #16
mssundaram wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My grandfather was a civil engineer and he had a number of different RPN HP calculators. He gave them to me when I was becoming interested in programming - a really exciting gift to explore.

Do you still have them? Back in the 90’s when HP was discontinuing them, I bought 4x 32sii. I still have them un-opened. I still have my dads LED one from the 70’s. They are collectors items now.

And the LED ones had relatively short battery life; they were rechargeable. When I started college, HP calculators were still very expensive so I started with a TI. Within a year or two, you could get an HP LED model (HP-55 in my case) for a reasonable price. Through college I still took a slide rule to exams as a backup in case the battery died for some reason though I never had to use it. During the latter part of the 70s, calculators were dropping in price extremely rapidly.

Re: What Is RPN? Why Did/Does HP Use RPN? Learning RPN (1999)

#35

Post by ghaff »

jjav wrote: post #32
disabled wrote: post #8

It took awhile to learn RPN in undergrad in electrical engineering. But, once you learn it, it is so much easier to solve problems and it is much more efficient. You never go back, and you are less likely to make errors entering in equations compared to your peers. This is important on timed exams. I prefer to always use RPN. MacOS has an RPN mode on their calculator, which one can activate by pressing command + R. O…

RPN is so nice and efficient, can't imagine using anything else. I like that the OSX calculator does RPN. But mostly I use my old 28S which is next to my keyboard always. Also have a 50g on the desk, but I prefer the 28S.

After using a 41CV for years, I bought a used 28S off someone. I just never cared for it. Probably just too accustomed to the more traditional RPN calcs.

Re: What Is RPN? Why Did/Does HP Use RPN? Learning RPN (1999)

#37

Post by mtalantikite »

aseerdbnarng wrote: post #13

I was forced to use an HP12C as part of my university degree. Once you get used to RPN it’s quite uncomfortable to switch back. It’s a much more intuitive way to do math once you get over the small hurdle. 15 years later and I’m still using the same calculator!

For whatever reason my high school had HP48s for my junior year math class, which got replaced the following year for TIs since “that’s what you’ll be using in college”. I much preferred the RPN and ended up convincing my parents my life would be easier with a new HP49g (which wasn’t a lie, it was). That thing helped get me through my math major and I’ll always remember my old school professor who taught my complex analysis course amazed that it could even solve those equations (which I’m sure the TIs could do as well).

Re: What Is RPN? Why Did/Does HP Use RPN? Learning RPN (1999)

#39

Post by pcardoso »

When I was starting my degree (around 96) I went to the US for a week and bought a HP48Gx since they were cheaper there. This happened a few weeks after a Swiss jet crashed departing NY and the reasons were not known at the time so the airport staff was very suspicious. When they saw the calculator and tried to do a simple test calculation and failed, I struggled to explain how use it, since it was also so new to me. Luckily I got 2 out of 1 1 + and I was let go... still have and love it.
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