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Hi there. I am a civil engineering student (Cape Town, South Africa) and recently bought a 2nd hand HP 48G. I have not started to use the calculator due to time constraints to learn the operation. I am thinking of buying the HP 50G and then rather learn how to use the 50G.

Is the 50G better/easier to learn than the 48G or should I rather just lear to use the 48G? Thank you for any responces.

I am far from an expert on the use of either calculator, but I do own both a 50g and a 48gx. I bought the 50g first (April 2009) and the 48gx several months later (July 2009). I find the 48gx far more intuitive and easier to use for the limited number of things that I have done with it. I really can't pinpoint why I feel this way, but I find that I feel less overwhelmed when I'm using the 48.

My feeling is that you should think about what you're going to need to use the calculator for and then compare the specs of the two calculators and then make a decision. The biggest advantage, to my mind, of the 50g is its SD card slot.

I find that the usability of the 48 is much, much better. That goes for the software, the physical hardware, and the keyboard layout. I generally use either my 48GX or my 48SX, and only pull out the 50G for stuff those two can't handle (which isn't often).

Now, the 48G will be a bit more constrained for RAM than a 48GX would be, so you'll have to factor that into the equation too.

Hi,

there are many points for the HP-48G series, and also some for the 50g.

As the other posters wrote, one thing to consider is the main usage profile.

However there's another thing to take into account:

A set batteries for the 50g will last a few weeks,

whereas a set of batteries for the HP-48 will last several months.

HTH

Raymond

I have both the 48GX and the 50g. I switched to the 50g in 2006 because it is still in production and can be easily replaced.

Some other reasons to consider the 50g:

  1. Clear and large screen.
  2. About 2x faster.
  3. Easier to get data in and out (options: USB, SD, and Serial (just like 48GX)).
  4. Superset of the 48 functionality. CAS and large integers.
  5. Can be programmed in C (cross compiler) and ARM assembly.
I'm not a fan of the 50g keyboard or the layout, but since you have not started on the 48, you'll probably not mind as much. I used my 48GX for 13 years before I got the 50g. It took about a week to adapt.

Both the 48 and 50 have emulators. A huge plus. Both have all docs in PDF, however only the 50g docs can be searched. The 48 docs are scans.

My advice would be to get started learning and using the 48G. You might find that you just don't like that style of calculator, in which case buying a 50G would be a waste of money.

There are lots of basic concepts to master in learning RPL, and the 48G will do fine for this purpose. The 50G is completely compatible and you'll make the transition quite easily.

Best,

--- Les

[http://www.lesbell.com.au]

I have an HP-50G and a HP-48G+. My personal preference would be for the HP-50g every time. It has a bigger and clearer display; its interface is faster; it has an SD-card slot. Its keyboard is fine - many people prefer the keyboard of the HP-48 series, but that isn't because the HP-50g keyboard is in any way unreliable. It really is just a matter of taste.

In any case, do you really want either of these calculators? The HP-50g especially has many truly obscure features that I doubt have ever been used by anyone. Something like the TI-89 titanium does far less but will probably do enough for many users (and appears to have fewer bugs). The TI isn't RPN, of course, but despite this its in-built editor makes it surprisingly usable.

Nigel

The OP already has a 48g so the issue comes down to whether or not what he's already got is enough to see him through or if he should/needs to spend more money for something else. At the moment he's thinking about the 50g, but the TI-89 Titanium might be a valid alternative, especially if that is what his colleagues are using. However, I have TI-89 (non-Titanium) and have yet to warm to it. The most counter-intuitive calculator of any that I own.

EDIT: added in some missing words...

Edited: 7 Sept 2009, 3:53 p.m.

IMHO a HP-48G contains more mathematical features than a civil engineer will ever need in his life. So, yes, a 48G shall do. Save the money for the 50G and buy some good textbooks instead.

My 0,02 Euros.

If you're new to RPN, go ahead and start learning the 48G. If and when you get a 50G the transition will not be hard. That way, you'll be all set to use the 50G in RPN mode (which is imperative in my opinion). If you're planning on using the 50G in algebraic mode, you might as well just get a TI.

Best regards, Hal

Quote:
(and appears to have fewer bugs)

Can this be substantiated? Not necessarily by Nigel, but by anyone who knows both calc's buglists well enough.

I second the above; also by the time he is ready to switch to something more powerful, HP may get it right once for a change and produce something decent like HP50 without CAS and in the HP48 skin but of the HP42 size. :)

Hi Mendl

When I was in SA, the engineers had an affinity for HPs. As you have a 48G and the 50G is expensive there (I think with the current exchange rate, it is sold at about twice the equivalent US value) you should be fine using the 48G.

As others have said, if you later decide you really need a 50G, it will be easy enough to change over.

Sterkte met die studies.
Groete, Bart

Hello Mendl,

At which uni / tech are you studying? I own the 48S, 48G+, 50G and a few aother calculators. I started with a 42s and then a 49G. People who have problems with the layout of the 50g started with the 48 series. If you are used to a 48, keep using it, otherwise get used to the 50g and a 48 will feel like a dinosaur. I would recommend the 50g, primarily for the larger screen, the faster execution times AND the ability to power from USB when working at your desk as well as the SD expasion ability. If you use any GX you are stuck regarding memory. Expansion cards for the GX is expensive and scarce. I use my 50g on a daily basis, carry it with me to construction sites and have put it through intense use and it still looks as new - no wear on the keys and I am happy with it. The 48 might be robust but it is just too slow and fiddly with the pre-historic serial connection.

If your calc is allowed in exams the execution time on large matrix, fem and beam statics calculations become invaluable. If it is not allowed, get a 42s. It is also not allowed but it looks innocent enough that nobody notices.

on gumtree you can purchase an as new 50g for R1200 (new is R1800)or order from Eric at hpcalc.org (which I did).

The documentation of the 48 is usefull to understand the workings of the 50g.

Which year are you now? Come and see me, I need engineers and if your profile suits our company I can offer a bursary.

Regards

Marnus

Edit: DONT buy the TI, I have never seen anybody in the engineering industry or at any uni that uses a TI in SA. SA engineers stick to the HP's and that can not be without a reason...

Edited: 8 Sept 2009, 7:23 a.m.

Now that I have actually looked at a buglist for the TI-89 I think I might retract my claim that it has fewer bugs than the HP-50g. I based what I said on the fact that I have never had the TI-89 give me a wrong answer (although very rarely it hangs), whereas on several occasions I have come across a clear bug in the HP-50g CAS. It also seems reasonable that since the HP-50g does so much more than the TI it is likely to have more bugs, especially as the obscure features will be used by relatively few people.

I really want to love the HP-50g, but unless I give it all my time and attention and stop seeing my other calculators I simply keep forgetting how to use it. The TI is nowhere near so demanding. I'm sure that if the HP-50g is your only calculator and if you take the time and trouble to get to know it properly, then you will be very happy together.

Nigel

Mendl,

Quote:
Come and see me, I need engineers and if your profile suits our company I can offer a bursary.

Perhaps the best advice you will ever get on this forum...

I have had the TI89 give me a wrong answer, once. The HP gives the same wrong answer.

Consider the expression

(1 + x^2)^(1/6) cos(atan(x)/3) / x^(1/3)

as x tends to the squareroot of -1.

The correct answer is


cuberoot(2)/4 * (squareroot(3) + i)

The calculators give 0.

Of course, even with the calculators, you can get an answer close to the correct one by having x close to but slightly different than i.

Opps, I think the correct answer might be the complex conjugate of what I gave.

Anyway, you can "nudge" the TI89 into giving you the correct result by instead entering

(1-x^2)^(1/6)*cosh(atanh(x)/3)

and taking the limit as x->1 (and then dividing by the cube root of i)

It seems like the HP50g still gives the wrong answer, though.... (mostly because it does not reduce that expression to a an algebraic expression)