HP Forum Archive 07

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new student hp calc user would like to ask about hp20s Message #1 Posted by lokhin on 11 Mar 2002, 6:48 a.m. hello! I am a form 5 HK student . here, in the secondary school sci. calc. market, casios takes 98% of the market, sharps takes 1.5% and the 0.5% ard others. i have been using casios since 98 until last month, when i got a new hp20s. I am impressed by this calc, it is solidly bulit, has good keypad, many functions . its quite different from casios, I have practise for 2 weeks to become 70% familarized with it. i would like to ask about the stat function: suppose we have a set of data: class mark: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 frequency: 8, 5, 8 , 10, 12, 9 in casios we can enter like this 5*8, 10*5, etc.... how about in hps? I cant find it and I have to use casios for stats in my exam. :-( thanks in advance lokhin

Re: new student hp calc user would like to ask about hp20s Message #2 Posted by Glen Kilpatrick on 11 Mar 2002, 12:27 p.m., in response to message #1 by lokhin It's been a while since I owned one of these, so I referred to http://www.finseth.com/~fin/hpdata/hp20s.html for refresher. You enter the numbers as: 5 INPUT 8 \GS+ (the Sigma function, upper-left key) 10 INPUT 5 \GS+ 15 INPUT 8 \GS+ ... and then "x-w compute weighted average" with a right-shifted square-root. I don't think any other statistical functions can be computed for a weighted average problem. Hope this helps. gk :)

Re: new student hp calc user would like to ask about hp20s Message #3 Posted by W. Bruce Maguire II on 11 Mar 2002, 1:41 p.m., in response to message #1 by lokhin lokhin: Since you already got an answer to your question, I will privide you with some free (albeit un-requested!) advice. ;-) Do yourself a favor, and purchase an HP-32sII (before they disappear!). In my opinion, what you have is not really an HP. A "real" HP is much better. The HP-32sII uses an RPN (Reverse-Polish Notation) operating system (rather than algebraic). RPN will take you a few minutes to get used to, but it is _much_ easier to use, more efficient, and more robust! That calculator also has a large number of functions. It is also programmable, but with only enough program memory to hold one useful program. And, if after that, you find yourself catching the HP bug---like the rest of us here---then you can look into some of the older HP calculators, which are true gems! But, as you are a student, I'm sure you don't have a lot of money to spend on calculators! Well, hopefully someday! ;-) Bruce.

oh Message #4 Posted by lokhin on 13 Mar 2002, 11:16 p.m., in response to message #1 by lokhin hello, thank you for your reply. what I want form the stats in standard deviation, mean, population stardard deviation. I do feel disappointed when I found that only weighted mean will work. its a pity that only a few hps are approved to use in exam here, here's is a full list of exam approved hp calcs: HEWLETT-PACKARD HP-6S HP-10 B HP-12 C HP-16 C HP-21 S HP-6S Solar HP-11 C HP-15 C HP-20 S full list of other approved calc can be seen here: http://www.hkea.edu.hk:8002/doc/ce01eng5.pdf very unfortunaty, hp32sii is not approved in exam. it was my first choice...... then I changed my mind and got a hp20s. but I aggree that I must get a hp32sii fast, before they become extinct. lokhin

approved calcs Message #5 Posted by Thibaut.be on 15 Mar 2002, 3:13 a.m., in response to message #4 by lokhin Then, whithout any hesitation, try to get a 15C...

Re: approved calcs Message #6 Posted by Ron Ross on 15 Mar 2002, 8:45 a.m., in response to message #5 by Thibaut.be If we're going to mention tough calcs, consider the Hp21s, since it is a statistics calculator, the next step above an Hp20s.

Re: Get the 21S Message #7 Posted by Frank on 15 Mar 2002, 10:23 a.m., in response to message #4 by lokhin I like the 15C well for general purpose science/engrg use, however for Prob & Stat speciality get the HP21S if you can find since it contains preprogrammed distributions(watch ebay or run HPMOC ad). Expect to pay $35 with manual to $175 without manual which is about the one year range on these.

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