Re: HP's and TI's calculator output rate


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Re: HP's and TI's calculator output rate



> Not to start a war, but HP calcs suck bigtime.  I used to have a TI85,
> TI92,
> and HP48GX..  I still have the TIs, but I got rid of the HP because it
> sucked
> so bad..

That was probably because you never bothered to learn how to use it properly.

> The RPN was okay, in fact it was pretty handy for evaluating
> expressions, but other than that the calc was a piece of junk..  It was
> slower than hell

I would have to agree about the GUI being slow, but veteran users know
short-cuts
and find ways to circumvent the GUI.  The GUI serves virtually no purpose other
than making some of the functions that require more arguments more user
friendly.
All of these functions are, in some way, accessible directly from the stack.
And
if it can't be done easily, then someone will re-write it in assembly and the
problem is solved.  Your complaint is invalid because you have not bothered to
look for a better solution; you simply accepted it as is.

> (IMHO because of the BS object-oriented design
> philosophy),

This statement is entirely invalid.  The HP48 does not use any such "object
oriented" design.  You are confusing HP "objects" with something like C++
"objects".  HP "objects" are simply a means of separating data types (like
stings,
reals, binaries, etc.).

> and was much less convenient than the TI85.  For example, common tasks
> such as
> unit conversion or polynomial factoring were MUCH slower and more
> difficult
> than on the 85...

This depends on how well the "environment" was set up on the HP.  The calc is,
what I would call, "highly customizable".  If set up properly, the user can
access
just about any function directly from the stack.  TIs seem to be a bit more
"user
friendly" and that is why people settle for what takes the least effort to
learn.

> Granted, the 92 also lags behind the 85 in these
> areas, but
> it has redeeming qualities such as WYSIWYG display and symbolic calc.
> The 48
> has no cool features like this.  (Well, I guess the built-in equations
> with
> graphic diagrams were pretty damn cool, but didn't get used all that
> much)..

There is plenty of nice freeware for the HP48.  I will agree that "out-of-box"
the
HP48 does lack in many symbolic areas, but for anyone who bothers to look,
there
is freeware available that will blow away any TI8x and is very comparable to
the
92 in symbolic manipulation.  If there was anything that I would remove from
the
ROM of the HP, it would be the equation library.  It's use is limited and there
are many other things that would be better in it's place.

> As an engineer, I would definitely say that the 85 is by far the best
> calc
> for day-to-day operations.  It's simple, fast, and has the functionality
> that
> is necessary.
>

For "day-to-day" operations, I would get a (RPN) scientific calculator.  If all
you use your TI for is unit conversion, then perhaps you have the right calc...
The HP48 is geared toward engineers unlike TI's which are geared toward
students,
so it seems odd that you would choose a TI over the HP, especially since you
don't
mind the RPN.  I had a TI85 once upon a time and I hated the keys.  They are
made
of cheap plastic and feel rough and unrefined on the fingers.  My grievances
against the TI85 end here because I could not stand the keys.  This is
something
that could not be remedied by software, so I switched to HP48.

Don't get me wrong... I am not trying to tell you that you are stupid for not
using an HP48.  I think your opinion of the HP48 is based on very limited
experience with the calc.  When I first got my HP, I did not like it because of
some of the very reasons you have suggested, but over time I have found that it
is
by far the best environment for any sort of mathematical application.  It is
better than any TI8x because of the increased functionality and it is better
than
the TI92 because of portability and it's use is permitted on standardized tests
(for the student).  The TI89 is coming out soon and looks to be a nice
calculator... maybe then the HP48 will have a worthy "opponent".

--
Aaron.


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