Live data from Hacker News

The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

swissmicros.com

81–90 of 116 posts

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#81
post #71

I'd love to see a non-programmable version. If I recall it would be something like the HP 10C. It's because I just want the RPN part along with math functions. A good example: Taking your FCC ham license exam does not permit use of your phone or a programmable calculator. They would have allowed me to use it. I had practiced for the exams with my old HP 11C. It was jarring to have to switch to a TI calculator during…

Swiss Micros makes several reproductions of old HP calculators such as the 11c, 12c, 15c ...etc. I know the 15c has keystroke macros, but not sure about the 12c.

Edit: it looks like you're right and they're all programmable. My mistake.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#82

I have a few Swiss Micros, but rarely use them. Beautiful devices though. Built to last forever.

Terrible keyboards though. At least compared to my beloved 48s and 28. How Id love for SM to do a straight 48G with more memory and a good keyboard. (But keys are hard to do)

My DM42 feels great. I haven't touched a 48g in ages though, so can't compare.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#83

There was a time when I would have salivated over this. But now I can run iPython on my phone, and have numpy, sympi, scipy, astropy and countless other packages. Physical keyboards are great for calculators - much better than virtual keyboards on phones. But the keyboard advantage seems to me most valuable for quick calculations, not elaborate things like this calculator offers. If I'm going to do matrix calculation…

A physical calculator is a tool, so is your python interpreter, but they are different tools for different purposes.

Mathematica does everything your python interpreter does and more — but that doesn't mean python becomes useless because of that. It's good for certain things, while Mathematica is good for other things.

Similarly with calculators (especially HP calculators), which have become a bit of a lost art (an elegant weapon for a more civilized age). I use them all the time when doing any kind of engineering or hobby work. Good luck using your computer with python one-handed in a workshop next to a CNC.

One thing I do agree with is that plotting functions or working with larger matrices on calculators makes little sense.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#84
post #32

There was a time when I would have salivated over this. But now I can run iPython on my phone, and have numpy, sympi, scipy, astropy and countless other packages. Physical keyboards are great for calculators - much better than virtual keyboards on phones. But the keyboard advantage seems to me most valuable for quick calculations, not elaborate things like this calculator offers. If I'm going to do matrix calculation…

Same. Although I have a few physical calculators, I rarely use them, because although for a simple calculation they're faster, when I'm already at a computer/phone, using that is faster, and when I want to do anything involving programming an actual programming langugage is better.

My HP41CV died after a few decades and a full repair didn’t seem feasible. The Swiss Micro seemed tempting but I honestly really wouldn’t use it.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#85

There was a time when I would have salivated over this. But now I can run iPython on my phone, and have numpy, sympi, scipy, astropy and countless other packages. Physical keyboards are great for calculators - much better than virtual keyboards on phones. But the keyboard advantage seems to me most valuable for quick calculations, not elaborate things like this calculator offers. If I'm going to do matrix calculation…

Any netbook it's far better than a smartphone for input.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#86
post #83

There was a time when I would have salivated over this. But now I can run iPython on my phone, and have numpy, sympi, scipy, astropy and countless other packages. Physical keyboards are great for calculators - much better than virtual keyboards on phones. But the keyboard advantage seems to me most valuable for quick calculations, not elaborate things like this calculator offers. If I'm going to do matrix calculation…

A physical calculator is a tool, so is your python interpreter, but they are different tools for different purposes. Mathematica does everything your python interpreter does and more — but that doesn't mean python becomes useless because of that. It's good for certain things, while Mathematica is good for other things. Similarly with calculators (especially HP calculators), which have become a bit of a lost art (an e…

GNU Maxima it's the best of both grounds.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#87

Super cool! But I so rarely reach for the physical calculators I already have these days. Any recommendations on RPN calculators for Windows or Android? The one I've got on my phone right now has some little quirks that bug me.

I use one called 48sx, however, I've only ever used +-*/. Clicky physical buttons are much better of course. An accountant I worked with years ago had one with a printer, which meant she had a paper record and could verify that the entries were correct.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use Android phones, and there are at least two ways to get iPython going on an Android phone. The first is Termux, which provides a gnu userspace atop the Android kernel. This app is pretty old, and well-tested. There is an active and helpful Termux community. But it has some downsides: 1) The version of Termux in the Google Play Store is not the preferred and maintained version, although the Play Store version doe…

I can't seem to find a Terminal app produced by Google LLC in Play store. Could you share the playstore link?

It's actually not in the app store, and it may only be available on Pixel phones. You get the app not by downloading it from anywhere, you just enable "developer mode" in the system settings, and the app magically appears in your app menu (the full menu, not on any home screen by default). There is a subreddit dedicated to this app ( https://www.reddit.com/r/androidterminal/ ).

I've never used a Samsung phone, but I think their DeX environment might allow you to do the same things that the "terminal" app supplies.

If you can't get either of the above to work, give Termux a try. It's not full gnu/Linux, but it's pretty close.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#89
My college girlfriend had an HP RPN calculator of some kind (42s?) that was non-graphing. She loved the calculator and never wanted the bulkier 48sx graphing one her Dad bought her, which is how I ended up with it. I kept it after the breakup and she got a Sony boombox. The HP still works 31 years later.

Re: The R47: A new physical RPN calculator

#90

I have a few Swiss Micros, but rarely use them. Beautiful devices though. Built to last forever.

Terrible keyboards though. At least compared to my beloved 48s and 28. How Id love for SM to do a straight 48G with more memory and a good keyboard. (But keys are hard to do)

[dead]
Post reply on HN