HP-42S celebrates its 25th anniversary today!!!

[Yriarte]

IMHO simply the best RPN scientific calculator!
It's my faithful companion since 1998.
By the way, someone knows who was the project/manager leader of this beauty?

Best regards.

[Fred Lusk]

Subtraction alert: the HP-42S was introduced in 1988, not 1998 (the 25th anniversary part is correct). :-)

The HP-42S has been my daily driver since the spring of 1989. When it dies, I will have to retire. (Actually, that's why I have Free42 on all three computers and my iPhone.)

I continued to use my HP-41CX in parallel through the mid 1990s, primarily because of the modules and other unique capabilities. I sometimes now use my HP-48G+ and HP-35S for certain things, but most of my other HP's don't get used very often.

I agree that the HP-42S is the best RPN scientific calculator ever, but it could have been better. First, ALL of the native HP-41CX capabilities plus the Advantage ROM should have been included in the HP-42S, and that includes full I/O and putting the alphabet on the keys not hot keys. In addition, if I could pick one thing from the 48 series to add, it would be units. While I understand all the enthusiasm for reintroducing the HP-15C, the real need IMHO is a reintroduced and enhanced HP-42S, including a better display and more memory.

[Ángel Martin]

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First, ALL of the native HP-41CX capabilities plus the Advantage ROM should have been included in the HP-42S,

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Yes the lack of I/O was unforgivable but as far as I can tell the 42 pretty much includes the majority of the Advantage pac (like Matrices, Complex numbers, etc.) - in a far superior implementation.

To me the CL has turned things around - and it's now the most powerful RPN calculator - within the obvious limitations of the 10-/ 13-digit precision architecture.

And as far as unit conversion... simply plug the UNIT_CONV extension module (also embedded in the PowerCL).

Edited: 31 Oct 2013, 3:10 a.m.

[Walter B]

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While I understand all the enthusiasm for reintroducing the HP-15C, the real need IMHO is a reintroduced and enhanced HP-42S, including a better display and more memory.

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Hear, hear! As we know this for long, we did something for it (WP 34S) and will continue to do so (WP 43S) with the means we can get.

d:-)

[Eddie W. Shore]

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IMHO simply the best RPN scientific calculator!
It's my faithful companion since 1998.
By the way, someone knows who was the project/manager leader of this beauty?

Best regards.

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Happy 25th HP 42s!

[FORTIN Pascal]

I just really got into hp calculators and I find it highly interesting. However, XD from an outsidrr point of view... Wishing happy birthday to a calculator is some crazy stuff

[db (martinez, ca.)]

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While I understand all the enthusiasm for reintroducing the HP-15C, the real need IMHO is a reintroduced and enhanced HP-42S, including a better display and more memory.

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While we're writing wishes that might be read by Cerril, Tim, David, Eric, Richard Ottsen, the Trinity (that's you guys Walter), or Sants Clause for that matter; lets be specific. Memory that is easy to back up, on standard, cheap and available media - with an OS that expects to store and retrieve programs and data without a fight. That is what we want.

Data files that are treated like a red-headed stepchild like HP IL, ROMs that can only be accessed at a global label, collector's edition" tapes that work no better than cheap micro cassettes, and breakage prone proprietary plugs like the 48 are not really an option.

I do feel like I'm preaching to the choir here but thought I should vent anyway.

[Massimo Gnerucci (Italy)]

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Wishing happy birthday to a calculator is some crazy stuff

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Been there, done that
(twice!!)


;-)

Edited: 31 Oct 2013, 5:59 p.m.