For Fans of the old HP RPN Calculators

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Ultraman

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Oct 28, 2005
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(Moderator: Please delete if you consider this deal spotting - it's not meant to and refers to a limited run from pretty much one source)

If you like the older Reverse Polish Notation HP calculators, this is just a heads up that the commemorative HP-15C is back:
nw250aa_main.jpg


The first run was very successful and quickly exhausted, so you might want to order one before they run out again. AFAIK, they are at the HP website. You're welcome.:)
 
My HP-41C died.
My HP11C is still functional. Never got a 15C.
Thanks for the heads up, though. Have to think about that one.
 
Don't need one. My 15C still works. Got it in 1984. I also have the HP-25 and HP-45. The switch on the HP25 is bad. Great calculators.

My 23 year old daughter likes the HP RPN calculators. she figured out how efficient the 4 stack memory is.

Ric
 
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Nice. My 15C is still going strong but might be nice to have a back-up. Thanks for the heads-up. Mike
 
Definitely getting a backup or two... the best calculator ever made. Got mine in 84 and still use it practically every day. 27 years old and working great. Truly a calculator that has no equals.

And RPN remains the professional way to do math.
 
Nice to see some fellow HP aficionados! I had a 42S that was stolen back in grad school, still have a 32SII that I bought many years later, and I am using the HP35S that is still being sold.
After the first run of the HP15C special edition ran out, the prices ran up to $400!
 
Back in the 90's I was flying by everybody on my 48G while everybody else was plodding along with their Ti-81s. Plus it had Tetris, Lemmings, Pac Man, Space Invaders (equivalent), draw poker, etc. It died, and I replaced it with a 49G.

When I first got a smartphone, I downloaded a scientific calculator app, set it to RPN, and never looked back. For long bouts of simple math (like doing your taxes) nothing beats RPN with a long, swappable stack.
 
Memories - paper and pencil, slide rule, TI and finally 12C..good rides all.
 
i'm rocking the 12c financial calculator as well. mine isn't any sort of limited edition such as the one above. RPN is great and all -- too bad it's a mind trip to have to switch back and forth. :(

fun times to go against common conventions.

i still:

drive in manual
type in dvorak
calculate in RPN

that way nobody else can:

drive my car
use my computer
"borrow" my calculator.


:P



anyone else care to share their non-conformity?
 
Midget said:
i'm rocking the 12c financial calculator as well. mine isn't any sort of limited edition such as the one above. RPN is great and all -- too bad it's a mind trip to have to switch back and forth. :(

fun times to go against common conventions.

i still:

drive in manual
type in dvorak
calculate in RPN

that way nobody else can:

drive my car
use my computer
"borrow" my calculator.


:P



anyone else care to share their non-conformity?
Click to expand...


drive in manual Used to for years, now I like automatic
type in dvorak Nope
calculate in RPN Check



 
My girlfriend (now wife) gave me my 11C as an engagement gift in '83. I kept griping about my lousy TI. I'd bought one TI and had the key board go South on me after 6 months of use. Got another TI and it did the same thing after 6 months. My girl heard my fussing and bought me the HP. It is still a fine machine. (She's still pretty fine, too.)
 
I picked up a 49g+ off the Exchange. It knows a lot more math than I do :(

I had one of the 28's but I gave it to my engineer cousin back when we were both young, and it's still hard at work.
 
I have my original (bought it in the early '80s). Love it as much as I love my TI-89 (I'm a mathematixian so I seldomly use either). I'd be apprehensive of the new 15C based on the second review here.
 
Another thing I really like about the HP calculators is the way the buttons feel when you push them. They have a very distinctive click and feel, you know when you have properly pushed the keys. I've used some calculators that the keys would activate the function even if I just rested my finger on it.

Oh yeah, can't for get the LAST x key that has saved my butt numerous times:p.

Ric
 
I've had my 12C for about 9 years now. Still going strong and absolutely essential for certain operations. I had to take a class to figure out how to use it though.
 
I have a 16C I got in 1986 that remains my favorite calculator ever. The 16C was targeted at computer scientists, but 15C is probably more generally useful. Think I"ll pick one up myself!
 
Phydeaux said:
Another thing I really like about the HP calculators is the way the buttons feel when you push them. They have a very distinctive click and feel, you know when you have properly pushed the keys. I've used some calculators that the keys would activate the function even if I just rested my finger on it.

Oh yeah, can't for get the LAST x key that has saved my butt numerous times:p.

Ric
Click to expand...

That reminds me of the time (late 70s when I was starting college) I was using my old TI with the hard keys and I asked a classmate why he like hi soft key Casio instead of the type of calculator I had.
He said: "TAK TAK TAK" so I guess he didn't like the sound and feel! The HPs refined it a bit, I think.

There might be a some bad reviews about QC issues, but it might be a minority. I'm willing to risk it :)
 
HP15C.jpg

I've had and used my 15C since the early 80's. I never used the programming feature, though. Could have been just as happy with the 11C. There is a very good freeware program for Windows that does a very nice emulation of the 15C. Here's a screen capture of my desktop with it running (and with a Blackjack Model 1-7 wallpaper behind it!) You can get it here:

http://hp-15c.homepage.t-online.de/
 
Looks like they're out of stock tonight.

HP has a few software versions of their calculator models including the 15C iPhone version.

updated URL
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/s...99196&jumpid=reg_r1002_usen_c-001_title_r0001


Here's the HPMuseum.org's article on the 15C.

http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp15.htm

I had a 15C back when and it was a very high quality calculator. The only thing I disliked was the horizontal design as I was used to the vertical ergos. Still have a 28C but it's overkill for me.
 
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