HP Forum Archive 13

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Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #1 Posted by AC on 30 June 2003, 1:06 p.m. Hi, after all the help ive gotten here, ive decided to go with the HP17 or 19Bii, but those are WAY to expensive. Is there any calc, preferablly low cost (at least under 80-100$) that has an equation solver and is none programable?? (teacher wont allow them, sort of ignorant) Thanks for all the help> [AC]

Buy one off ebay Message #2 Posted by gene on 30 June 2003, 1:10 p.m., in response to message #1 by AC There are almost always 17b (original) and 17bii's on ebay. Cost for some original 17b's are sometimes near $20-30. That might be worth the ebay chance.

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #3 Posted by Ron Ross on 30 June 2003, 1:33 p.m., in response to message #1 by AC If you have given up on RPN, you should consider an Hp30s. It does have a solver (only one eq. can be in solver at a time). It has lots of functions, but is CHEAP both in quality and price. About $15 retail, and its keyboard is on par with your Hp49G (except they are hard plastic, not rubber, but nowhere near the quality of an older Hp).

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #4 Posted by hugh on 30 June 2003, 2:53 p.m., in response to message #3 by Ron Ross solver? where? not sure id recommend the 30s. and its not really a "perennial favorite" as hp claim either. the 17bii is a nice machine. very easy to use and you can select either RPN or ALG at your preference. it has a solver, but its not scientific. the 20s (although the underdog to the 32sii) was, until recently, available. on ebay they are still cheap. its not RPN. the display is fantastic. its scientific & very stylish. sightly programmable.

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #5 Posted by Chan Tran on 30 June 2003, 3:04 p.m., in response to message #4 by hugh I think AC problem is that even slightly programable is not acceptable.

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #6 Posted by Chan Tran on 30 June 2003, 3:08 p.m., in response to message #1 by AC It's irony that 20 some years ago I had no problem using the HP41 in any of my classes and exams.

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #7 Posted by Luca Passaggio (Switzerland) on 1 July 2003, 3:16 a.m., in response to message #6 by Chan Tran I had the same advantage 20 years ago, I lived in Italy at that time and none of my professors were understanding a programmable calculator, therefore I stored my HP-41C with every sort of formulas and programs. Guess who had the best marks ?!?

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #8 Posted by Massimo Gnerucci (Italy) on 1 July 2003, 1:00 p.m., in response to message #7 by Luca Passaggio (Switzerland) Quote: I had the same advantage 20 years ago, I lived in Italy at that time and none of my professors were understanding a programmable calculator, therefore I stored my HP-41C with every sort of formulas and programs. Guess who had the best marks ?!? Imagine me with a 41C in 1979... nobody aware of its power apart from some professors (but I had mine before them ;-) ). I never cheated, but it helped me a lot. Where were you studying at the time? Greetings, Massimo

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #9 Posted by Luca Passaggio on 2 July 2003, 4:29 a.m., in response to message #8 by Massimo Gnerucci (Italy) At that time I lived in Torino and I was eighteen. I have to admit that sometimes I have cheated (only a little bit) but I had no time to study because of girls, beer and motorbikes ! I am not really a collector but I use my HP-41C and my HP-12C every day (I am in R&D, marketing and sales of minimally invasive surgical devices). Best regards to everybody in this beautiful forum, you have remembered to me very happy moments when men were real men, women were real women and calculators were RPN ! Luca

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #10 Posted by Stephan (Germany) on 1 July 2003, 4:16 p.m., in response to message #7 by Luca Passaggio (Switzerland) Unfortunately professors became more knowledgeable in between. I recently visited the web space of Technical University of Munich, where I studied EE a while ago. Guess what? Calculators are not allowed for exams any more today. But slide rules. No yoke.

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #11 Posted by David Smith on 1 July 2003, 6:23 p.m., in response to message #10 by Stephan (Germany) Gee, can you use a programmable slide rule?

Re: Hp Calculator, Hard Choice Message #12 Posted by Stephan (Germany) on 2 July 2003, 12:57 a.m., in response to message #11 by David Smith As the restriction says "mechanical calculation aids" I guess there are no objections to attaching a motor drive to the slide rule and using one or more abaci as memory.

HP-17BII Message #13 Posted by Renato on 30 June 2003, 5:37 p.m., in response to message #1 by AC Andres, 17BII can be found at less than $100. I donīt think 19BII is a good choice (unless you need trigs functions, or find one real cheap). My reasons: 1- batteries for 19bii are not so easy to find, they leak if you are not careful, and they last much less than 17bII, 2-clamshell design it not as convenient or compact, 3- 17bii is a more robust design. Renato

Re: HP-17BII Message #14 Posted by Thibaut.be on 1 July 2003, 8:22 a.m., in response to message #13 by Renato Sorry Renato, i disagree with you. The 17BII is definitely a very nice machine, but the 19BII is extremely powerful and is really worth the effort compared to a 17BII, even if the 17BII is more attractive on certain characteristics : smaller, lighter, ... It is not programmable, so it matches AC's choice, but the solver is far faster than on the 17BII and more practical to use. Ebay should be the alternatvie source for finding one at a reasonnable price. Good luck !

Re: HP-17BII Message #15 Posted by Jim on 1 July 2003, 5:06 p.m., in response to message #14 by Thibaut.be I have a 19BII and I like it a lot. I don't know much about the 17BII. So please explain this statement: "It is not programmable, so it matches AC's choice, but the solver is far faster than on the 17BII and more practical to use." To set up the solver you have to program it, right? If the 17BII has a solver, wouldn't it be programmable? Thanks.

Re: HP-17BII Message #16 Posted by AC on 1 July 2003, 5:34 p.m., in response to message #15 by Jim Yea, it would be, but not to some teachers!

Re: HP-17BII Message #17 Posted by Thibaut.be on 1 July 2003, 6:22 p.m., in response to message #16 by AC Well, on 15C, 34C, 32SII, 42S, ... the solver needed to call a program where you equation was stored. On the 17BII and 19BII there is a quite powerful equation writer, a bit as if you were storing an excel formula.

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