Help! I just bought the HP 50g.
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From: Chumly on 21 Jun 2008 10:39 Hello, I just bought the HP 50g, but I have not had time to look at it much as teaching takes up so much of my time. Also I am not used to fancy programmable graphing calculators! I am presently using these two scientific calculators: a Texas Instruments TI-30XS and a Casio fx-991ES. Both are non-programmable, non-graphical fairly easy-to-use scientific calculators for algebra and trigonometry. I have read that the HP 50g has a steep learning curve, so to make the transition from my TI-30XS & fx-991ES as painless as possible, I would like (at first) to have the HP50g behave like an easy-to-use scientific calculator for algebra and trigonometry. 1) Right out of the box, can I use the HP50g like an easy-to-use scientific calculator for algebra and trigonometry? 2) I do not want to use RPN, will I find there are missing keys or keys in weird places if I use Infix? 3) Will I find any other limitations if I use Infix instead of RPN? 4) Are there some things I can do to make the HP50g more user friendly for a first time user needing algebra and trigonometry? 5) Will I have trouble trying to use the HP50g as a decent but more basic scientific calculator as compared to my TI-30XS and Casio fx-991ES? 6) Are all the usual scientific calculator keys easy to find and not hidden? For example Ive read the TI-89 Titanium does not even have a 1/X button! 7) I understand the programs for the HP50g use RPN, is there a way to easily program the HP50g without RPN? Much thanks indeed!
From: datajerk on 21 Jun 2008 12:53 On Jun 21, 8:39 am, Chumly <dal...(a)lightspeed.ca> wrote: > I have read that the HP 50g has a steep learning curve ... That's just a rumor. The 50g manual is a good place to start. > 1) Right out of the box, can I use the HP50g like an easy-to-use > scientific calculator for algebra and trigonometry? Out of the box the 50g takes a step out of the light and against its heritage. I.e. it defaults to algebraic mode. Don't panic, it is still quite usable in a mathematically natural sense. But the leap to RPN is not that great and there are many benefits. > 2) I do not want to use RPN, will I find there are missing keys or > keys in weird places if I use Infix? AFAIK, no. > 3) Will I find any other limitations if I use Infix instead of RPN? IMHO, just your efficiency will suffer. > 4) Are there some things I can do to make the HP50g more user friendly > for a first time user needing algebra and trigonometry? Read the fine manual. > 5) Will I have trouble trying to use the HP50g as a decent but more > basic scientific calculator as compared to my TI-30XS and Casio > fx-991ES? No. > 6) Are all the usual scientific calculator keys easy to find and not > hidden? For example Ive read the TI-89 Titanium does not even have a > 1/X button! Yes. > 7) I understand the programs for the HP50g use RPN, is there a way to > easily program the HP50g without RPN? Technically its called RPL, but in any case, it is easy. Of course, I find C easier (http://sense.net/~egan/hpgcc/). :-)
From: Tom Lake on 21 Jun 2008 14:14 "Chumly" <dalder(a)lightspeed.ca> wrote in message news:a767a532-4242-4341-a5ad-e8231fd08d80(a)w1g2000prd.googlegroups.com... > Hello, > 3) Will I find any other limitations if I use Infix instead of RPN? Yes, you won't be able to get much help from the experts. They are whizzes at RPL and RPN but most don't really know (or feign ignorance?) about algebraic mode. > 6) Are all the usual scientific calculator keys easy to find and not > hidden? For example I�ve read the TI-89 Titanium does not even have a > 1/X button! It doesn't but it has an inverse function that does the same thing. It's a superscripted "-1" symbol and you have to use the catalog to get it. Tom Lake ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **
From: sc_usenet on 21 Jun 2008 16:22 On Jun 21, 10:39 am, Chumly <dal...(a)lightspeed.ca> wrote: > 1) Right out of the box, can I use the HP50g like an easy-to-use > scientific calculator for algebra and trigonometry? Yes, the 50g is a great number cruncher, superior to the TI-89 (yes, I have both). It can also perform many scientific functions that the TI-30 and Casio fx-991 can't do, such as complex arithmetic, complex trig, and even complex inverse trig. With the 50g, complex numbers are handled just as easily as real numbers and the usage is the same. > 2) I do not want to use RPN, will I find there are missing keys or > keys in weird places if I use Infix? No, the key layout with the ENTER key in the bottom right corner actually suits infix. The only thing is that the parenthesis are shifted. Still, they insert both parenthesis "(" and ")" and put your cursor in between. Very convenient, though I still find RPN the way to go. > 3) Will I find any other limitations if I use Infix instead of RPN? No, but many of the functions are easier and quicker to use in RPN mode. The software on the calculator is optimized for RPN mode anyway. > 4) Are there some things I can do to make the HP50g more user friendly > for a first time user needing algebra and trigonometry? RPN and softkeys (not CHOOSE boxes). Seriously, I was a bit reluctant to take the plunge for RPN at first, but now that I've used it for (only) a year, I would never go back. RPN is simply much more efficient than infix, saving time and keystrokes. > 5) Will I have trouble trying to use the HP50g as a decent but more > basic scientific calculator as compared to my TI-30XS and Casio > fx-991ES? No, except it goes through batteries quicker. > 6) Are all the usual scientific calculator keys easy to find and not > hidden? For example Ive read the TI-89 Titanium does not even have a > 1/X button! Great layout. On the TI-89, the trig functions are all shifted! What were they thinking? Not so on the 50g. > 7) I understand the programs for the HP50g use RPN, is there a way to > easily program the HP50g without RPN? There's something called HP-BASIC, though I've never used it because I prefer the RPL programming. > Much thanks indeed! You're welcome! S.C.
From: sc_usenet on 21 Jun 2008 16:26
On Jun 21, 2:14 pm, "Tom Lake" <tl...(a)twcny.rr.com> wrote: > > 6) Are all the usual scientific calculator keys easy to find and not > > hidden? For example Ive read the TI-89 Titanium does not even have a > > 1/X button! > > It doesn't but it has an inverse function that does the same thing. It's a > superscripted "-1" symbol and you have to use the catalog to get it. > I wouldn't even bother with that function because finding that function in the vast catalog would take too long. Just use the carat for exponentiation and put in ^(-1). Of course, with the 50g in RPN mode, this operation takes 1 keystroke -- have the number on level 1 in the stack and press the 1/X key. One keystroke as opposed to six. S.C. |