Plus42 Pricing and documentation

[Marco Polo]

(11-29-2023 06:17 AM)Peter Klein Wrote:  What can the RPL machines do that my RPN machines can't? Well, for one thing, plot functions. (Yes, I know the 42s can, but it's very rudimentary.) But Plus42 looks like it can do very nice plots, and I'm already well down the learning curve on the 42s and Free42.

If you think about mere number crunching, they are more or less equivalent. Imho just a matter of personal preferences.

Compared to RPN models RPL calculators (except 28s) are fully customizable in terms of keyboard (41c has it) and user menus (much more powerful than 42s/Plus42 implementation)

If you think about programmability, there is a huge gap in favour of RPL. I am not speaking about ease of programming but about availability of data types (String, Array, List, etc), program branches and other features which are mostly not available in RPN models and make the RPL calculators much more flexible than RPNs.
Furthermore, RPL brought the still unpaired unit of measure management (present in Plus42) and solvers (single and multiple equations) which are extremely flexible and, imho, superior if compared to HP27s/Plus42 solver.
Just to give some examples about the use of my 50g (but also any 48s/g) in my job (chemical engineering):

• Pump and relevant piping sizing only using Multiple Equation Solver
• Quick sizing of an acid gas removal unit by amines (RPL program)
• Pipe thickness table according to ASME (RPL program)
  

I tried to reproduce the above tools in RPN calculators (35s and Plus42) but it was nearly impossible to me.

In addition in RPL calculators data and programs can be almost freely named and organized in directories, just like a normal PC (Plus42 is very similar to RPL models)

When i was studying engineering the available PCs where 8086/80286 with Dos, GW-Basic and Fortran77. Often it was faster and more effective to program my 48sx that writing a program on the PC :-)

(11-29-2023 06:17 AM)Peter Klein Wrote:  Suppose you were in my place. What would you do? Use one of my 48 machines? Use Plus42? Buy an HP Prime or a TI whatever-the-kids-are-using? Get a dedicated PC program?

I would go with emulators until i decide which calculator is best suited for my need.
I would include RPL models, Plus42, TI models, HP Prime and Numworks.
(i did this way some months ago, and decided to stay with 50g)
PC math software is for sure a more powerful solution, but cannot compete with calculators for ease of transportation and sometimes ease of use