use, prices, other-brand rpn

[db (martinez, ca.)]

1) my 41 never even came out of the case at work yesterday. the first time since the early 90's.

2) people have been commenting on outrageous ebay prices for a while now. i just read something that will help to put that in context. in 1997 the loincloth that kirk douglas wore in the film "sparticus" was auctioned off at sothebys for $2990.00. that price makes a $2300.00 hp65 or a $170.00 hp32sii look like a good use of ones money. and a more hygenic use too.

3) i have been playing with an "allegro" lately. it's a windows ce based coke bottle shaped touch screen handheld. the program this one uses has three "calculators" in it. one is an aos basic calc. another is a specialized curve geometry calculator. the last is the "scientific", it is rpn with an hp style 4 level stack (all visible), replicating t reg, last x and all. it has 4 memories and all 6 trig functions but no p-r. the programmer was a bit unclear on the concept; it converts from D.dddd to dms but not back again and the arithmetic functions are all shifted, but it's rpn and i guess they would not have put it in there if they didn't think that people expected it.

[Ernie Malaga]

Please forgive me for saying so, but anyone who pays $3000 for a piece of dirty underwear should have his/her head examined. It makes no sense absolutely; looking at it, you can't tell it was worn by Douglas -- which would be the prime reason for buying it. I might as well cut a dish rag and claim it's a tampon that Queen Victoria discarded.

A $2300 HP-65 is okay if (a) money is no object and (b) it is in good working condition. After all, allowing for inflation, the $800 price tag it had originally would amount to much more than a mere $2300.

Paying $170 for a HP-32SII is also okay. It's a useful machine and the price is not too outrageous.

As you can see, I'm not a collector of things. 8^(

-Ernie