Scientific calculators are an amazing invention that take pocket calculators from being merely basic arithmetic machines to being pocket computers that can handle everything from statistics to alge…
I used an HP RPM calculator through college. It could do cool stuff like graphing and solving equations. Very helpful for an engineering student, not so helpful later in life. I used that calculator until about a year ago when it died (got about 35 years from it). I didn’t use the super fancy stuff anymore, but for a scientific calculator it was pretty solid.
So when it broke, I had to find a replacement for a device that I’ve used for my entire life. Needless to say, I was kind of picky. I tried emulators, and newer TIs, and there’s a bunch of knockoff crap like the article points to. Only one made me happy. A silly little iOS app “PCalc” (it has an icon of “42”). It was like $5, runs on my phone, and honestly I probably should have switched decades ago.
I’m not associated with that app or the author or anything, just a recommendation for anyone old and stubborn like me - I know I’m not alone here with calculator attachment issues :)
The best part about using an RPM calculator (I also had an HP) was that if someone asked if they could borrow it, I could tell them that if they call do 1+1 and get 2 on it, they could use it. No one ever was successful.
RPM is great though, it’s so fast if you could quickly organize the order of operations.
I got used to RPN at University. Ever since, I literally struggle to do simple math with algebraic calculators, got an HP15X emulator in my phone, does all I need
I used an HP RPM calculator through college. It could do cool stuff like graphing and solving equations. Very helpful for an engineering student, not so helpful later in life. I used that calculator until about a year ago when it died (got about 35 years from it). I didn’t use the super fancy stuff anymore, but for a scientific calculator it was pretty solid.
So when it broke, I had to find a replacement for a device that I’ve used for my entire life. Needless to say, I was kind of picky. I tried emulators, and newer TIs, and there’s a bunch of knockoff crap like the article points to. Only one made me happy. A silly little iOS app “PCalc” (it has an icon of “42”). It was like $5, runs on my phone, and honestly I probably should have switched decades ago.
I’m not associated with that app or the author or anything, just a recommendation for anyone old and stubborn like me - I know I’m not alone here with calculator attachment issues :)
The best part about using an RPM calculator (I also had an HP) was that if someone asked if they could borrow it, I could tell them that if they call do 1+1 and get 2 on it, they could use it. No one ever was successful.
RPM is great though, it’s so fast if you could quickly organize the order of operations.
You mean RPN, right? Reverse Polish Notation.
Lol yes. I knew what OP meant and assumed they were right and went with it.
Dear Lord I’m not the only one wondering what RPM stands for!!
I got used to RPN at University. Ever since, I literally struggle to do simple math with algebraic calculators, got an HP15X emulator in my phone, does all I need