HP48GII Quality ??
#1

Does anyone have any information regarding the HP48GII quality ? I have read a lot about the 49G+ and the various DOA, keyboard, etc issues, but are all of these in the early serial numbers ? Also, do all of these also apply to the 48GII ?

I think that the 48GII will not be flash updatable, but maybe that won't matter if it does it's job well enough to start with. I just don't want to start with a turkey that I can't improve.

I pretty much use 48GX's all the time and I would like to buy a new one, but the negative comments tend to make me pause before leaping.

#2

In comp.sys.hp48, there was a dealer saying that the 48GII had been recalled to be rereleased in January.

Arnaud

#3

What I plan to update to in my next calculator review.

The next step up in calculator power is the new and completely redesigned HP48GII series calculator. It really should be called an Hp49G- (minus) as it is NOT related to or an upgrade of the Hp48G series family AT ALL! This is the 49G+ without the Flash ROM, memory, or SD memory expansion slot and a half speed CPU. It doesn’t even come with USB or standard RS-232 (it is serial that will work with a computers RS232, but it needs device power to work, so it cannot function as a controller anymore). Since it doesn’t have flash rom, no upgrades to fix any existing bugs are possible (Hp already paid for this mistake upon initial release as the first units had the same battery drain bug). Without flash technology, I could not put this calculator above a Ti-89. However, today, it is a better calculator in power and features. But the Ti 89 can change and evolve, the 48GII cannot. The 48GII no longer comes with a built in equation library, but still has an equation writer. The equation writer is very useful. The 48G series still offers RPN. This is an operating system that is more efficient and better to use with the stack than an algebraic system. However many students don’t want to bother to learn a new system and some people never get used to or feel comfortable with RPN. This is both a blessing and a curse for the RPN calculator. However, Hp has made their new calculators RPN/Algebraic selectable with algebraic as the default upon reset or initial power up. Why Hp even makes this 48GII is a mystery to me. It is merely a lower end 49 without Flash ROM or RAM expansion? The new 48GII is crippled with only 128K ram available, slower clock speed (1/2 the 39/49 series) and new keyboard layout that is essentially a 49 keyboard (no large enter key). Why buy this? It won’t be allowed anywhere a 49 isn’t, and new (uniformed) users will probably buy the 39G (however this calculator is only algebraic and only has 27 Variables available) since it is twice as fast and has twice as much RAM. This calculator will probably suffer the same fate as the Ti86 in the Ti line, too powerful for High School, but not powerful enough for the High End user.

#4

Well, that is either good or bad news depending on how you look at it. It was either so bad that it would have been a dog, or they are making it so great that when we get it, we will throw rocks at all other calculators. (ie. perfect keyboard, no screen flash, no bugs, place for a memory card, etc)

Hope for the best.

#5

Why not dish out another $50 more and buy the HP49+, I am quite happy with it after upgrade the rom version to 1.22, the SD memory is great and the calculator is so much faster then the HP48 !

#6

Hi!
Is the recalled HP48GII will be a collectible item? Should I search the HP48GII only for collectors purpose?

Thanks.



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