HP48G+ Message #1 Posted by Eduardo Costa on 2 Feb 2005, 4:15 p.m.
Since I like RPN, and owned a HP 41 a long time ago, I decided to buy an HP 49G+ for my son. I was appalled by the low quality of the product. The case is ugly and looks cheap, since it is painted with a metallic yellowish color. The keys do not have good finishing, fail to register when pressed, which does not happen very often, but it is annoying when it happens, and are not consistent; for instance, in programming mode, the quote key may register one ", or two "", depending on the context. After reading in one of Amazon reviews that HP 48GII is slightly better, I bought also a HP 48GII shortly after buying the HP 49G+. I noticed the same problem with the keys: they look cheap, feel cheap, and work cheap; the metallic paiting also look cheap, although it is not yellowish. Then, somebody told me that I should look for a HP 48G+; he also said that I could still find a new one left over from old stocks. My friend told me that HP 48G+ is slow, but that does not seem to be a problem, because when I need speed, I write a program in Clean, using a PC computer. In fact, I found a new HP 48+ in Amazon; I ordered it. From the pictures, it seems to have a good keyboard, and a HP look, if you understand what I am telling. I did not received my calculator yet; thus, I have a few questions to the members of this forum:
1- How battery life of HP 48G+ compares with HP 49G+? In my HP48 G+, batteries last about 120 hours of continuous use.
2- How is the keyboard of HP 48G+? Is it as good as it looks in pictures?
3- How about keyboard consistency? Do HP 48G+ keys always register the same thing?
4- A good thing in HP 49G+ is an optional algebraic mode. Does HP 48G+ has an algebraic mode?
Thanx for the answears.
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