WIRED; It's Past Time for You To Ditch That Fancy Scientific Calculator

[brickviking]

(08-11-2017 12:18 PM)Eddie W. Shore Wrote:  There is also nothing like the real thing. There is just something to touching buttons than a flat screen.

I've found one area where a touch screen can work, but only if it supports multitouch: zooming a graph in and out (a la HP Prime). Otherwise, the feel of buttons are a thing you can't duplicate.

I can't claim the depth of expertise here that most people can, but it's my HP-50G I reach for in a lot of cases when I want to do some quick calculations. That, or the FX-82TL that I uhm.... modified a bit by adding a solar cell. I just have to manage the context switch (ALG|RPL).

The HP-50G is also what I use for quick storage of a series of variables used for airplanes, in my Q400 flight simulation. I don't have to switch away from the flight simulator, simply pick up the calculator. If I need to work out how to convert from one unit to another, the HP-50G supports that too. (Take that, FX-82!)

In short, even with the ability to use the browser or python like the Wired article stated, I won't be putting aside my calculators any time soon. Calculators simply require batteries, which don't require changing very often. They don't require the internet to be working; or a computer and some power.

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