Customer Reviews

HP 50g Graphing Calculator

5 star:		(180)
4 star:		(66)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

It's 10/5/06 and I'm editing this review right up front with the first paragraph, because this little calc has a problem that I hadn't noticed initially. The new HP keys, as I describe below, are great. They have a solid click and a good rollover ability - meaning that you can push the number 1, then push the number 2 before letting go of the 1 entirely, and you'll still get "12" on the screen. That's perfect. Here's the downside: Rapidly enter the number "1100." Click-click-click-click. And yet my screen says "10." Why? Because a rapid double-click of a numeric key results in the calculator noticing only the first click. If a typewriter worked that way, I'd be attending metings every day instead of meetings.

**UPDATE - 10/14/06** One of the commands available, not documented in the 50g material, but documented for several earlier HP calculators, is a KEYTIME command. Quite simply, replacing the default keytime with "500" eliminates missed keystrokes. This corrects the problem I described above.

And now back to my original review:

First, the keypad issue has been addressed with this model, and each key has a feel that is similar to the HP41 - just about perfect for data entry without needing to look at the keypad. Now all that's necessary is for HP to return to the complex keys that allowed for print both on the top surface and the beveled edge; that would allow for some improvement in the user interface. But overall this is a major step forward from the HP49 line.

Next, the display is bright and legible with good contrast. These multiline displays still aren't quite as good as the single line displays from years past in terms of visibility at odd angles but we're coming close. There's plenty of information here with a seven line stack in the default mode.

The manual is where the calculator loses a star. While the new manual is an improvement over the HP48/49 series (though it has less information, it is more understandable), it is nowhere near as complete and useful as the HP41 series manuals were. HP needs to bring back a well-written manual series with use of color, high-end paper, and quality typesetting. For example, the calculator comes with a user's manual; on page 1-20, it says that additional references can be found in Chapter 1 and Appendix C of the calculator's user's guide. What user's guide? They don't mean the manual since that doesn't have any Appendices (or an index, for that matter). Where would I get the user's guide? Then I discover that it is included, and is on the CD-ROM in pdf form. Apparently it is a larger version of the user's manual, with additional information, including an index. Much of the information in the Guide is duplicated from the Manual - but we still don't have complete programming and functional command discussion. Don't get me wrong - everything you need for standard operations is here; but if you really want to get into the capabilities of the calculator (and that's why you're spending $129, right?), we want the full manual. Oh, and bring back the manuals that are spiral-bound so we don't have to weigh the book down with something each time we turn to the calculator to try something.

Here too is a connectivity kit of software, none of which runs on my Mac. I tried plugging it in to the Mac using the standard USB connecting cable (included) but nothing happened. Since I didn't buy the HP with any need to hook it up to my Mac, it's not a problem, but what good is connectivity if noone bothered with the Mac software?

There are a few little nits that still need to be picked. For example, the stack is right justified but data entry is left justified. It is much easier to quickly review an entered number and compare it to numbers on the stack if they are similarly justified. The enter key needs to return to double-width just above the numeric portion of the keypad, and HP should finally pick a standard numeric/operator layout and stick with it. The HP41 had the major operators on the left. The HP48 put them on the right and changed the sequence. The HP50 keeps them on the right but bumped them all up by one key. For those of us who essentially touch-type on calculators, this relearning is a pain.

I must admit that if HP simply rebuilt the HP41C series with more memory, they'd have a clear winner. And given the prices that those models sell for on eBay in new condition, HP could clearly do well with such a product.

The connectivity issue would have cost another star, but the overall build quality, computing capabilities, programming capabilities, and incorporation of RPN on the 50g make it clearly worth 4 stars.

At first I was somewhat disappointed with the HP50G, since it essentially has the same form factor and functionality as the HP49G+ (which I also own). Just changing the color doesn't justify a new model designation, IMHO. Wait a tick... the keyboard seems a bit better... played with it for awhile... switched back to the HP49G+... ack! I never noticed how horrendous the keyboard was on the HP49G+. The keyboard on the HP50G is velvet in comparison. If you have been frustrated by the clunky, clicky keyboard on the HP49G+, then the HP50G is the answer. Otherwise, stick with the HP49G+, since it is essentially the same calculator.

Why I Like the 50g

* The Controversy

If you google "TI v. HP" you can find dozens of discussions by partisans
of both brands of calculators arguing for the relative merits of the
their favorite model. These days, the two models under discussion are
the TI-89 for Texas Instruments and the HP-50g for Hewlett-Packard.
Almost inevitably, the discussion goes straight into whether the
Algebraic or RPN entry method is better.

I can summarize the argument pretty quickly: "RPN saves one or two
keystrokes." "Maybe, but Algebraic is easier to learn---it's just like
the way you would write it." From there, someone might mention the
number of built in functions for each, 850 versus 820, or the speed of
solving an integral, 1.2 versus 1.1 seconds.

I find these arguments almost completely irrelevant to the things that
draw me to a calculator, and I get exasperated at the repetition of
these kinds of arguments. I will put my cards on the table right now.
I far prefer the HP50g for reasons I will discuss in a second. I own a
TI-89 and the really cooler TI-92 plus with the full alphabetic
keyboard, and they are both fantastic calculators. But the HP-50g is
"fun" in a way that's hard to explain in a post. It is *not* RPN, or at
least not RPN in isolation from the whole ecosystem of the HP-50g, that
makes it fun.

* The Stack

I don't know why but the HP's stack hardly ever figures into these
discussions, yet to me, it is the indispensable facility of the HP-50g
that gives it its elegance. You probably have some idea of what a stack
is, but if you don't the concept is easy, but elegant. The stack is a
pile of numbers that sit on the calculator that can be removed only from
the "top" of the stack, which in the HP is actually displayed at the
bottom. Here, for example, is what the stack might look at somewhere in
the middle of a calculation:

7:
6:
5:
4:
3: 5
2: 3.5
1: 9

The number 9 is on the "top" of the stack, position "1", labeled at the
left. Further up the stack are 3.5 and 5, while the rest of the stack is
empty. If I enter another number, say, 6.7, it gets "pushed" onto the
top of the stack and all the other numbers get bumped up into the next
higher position. Like this:

7:
6:
5:
4: 5
3: 3.5
2: 9
1: 6.7

The stack serves as a kind of universal input-output facility for the
calculator. All of the functions, and I mean *all* the functions, take
arguments from the stack and---here's the important part---they push
their results back onto the stack, starting at position 1, the "top."

The '-' key, for example performs subtraction, a function that takes two
arguments. Where does it get its arguments from? The top two numbers
on the stack, of course. And it applies the subtraction to them in the
same order that you see them, in this case it will compute '9 - 6.7'.
Where will it put the result, 2.3? On the top of the stack, of course.
After pushing the '-' key, the stack becomes:

7:
6:
5:
4:
3: 5
2: 3.5
1: 2.3

This regular, predictable behavior gives the HP50g an interactive feel
that allows you to "play" with the numbers more that CALCULATE. You're
not Spock, after all, you probably want to fiddle with a problem a bit.
You can stop, contemplate, perform a side calculation, and the stack
will return to where it was when you left off the main problem. Say you
have 45 on the stack, and are thinking of taking its sine. As you ponder
the problem, you realize that you really want that 45, which you've been
regarding as degrees, converted to radians before you take tits sine.
These sort of mid-course corrections are just what the stack is made
for. You remember that to get this done, you have to divide by 180, then
multiply by pi. Simple, just enter 180 / pi *, and you've got your
radians. Now you can get back to the problem of taking the sine (just
press the [SIN] key, and there it is on the stack for you to think about
and operate on further.

The stack on the HP-50g (and the 49g and the 48g and the 28s, etc) has
an unlimited depth, so you can push numbers onto it to whatever depth
the problem at hand requires up to the limit of available memory, and I
for one, have never found the end of memory on the 50g. This contrasts
with earlier HP's that had a stack that was limited to 4 numbers,
usually with only two of them visible. On the 50g, up to seven elements
are visible, and you can look at the rest by hitting the cursor key to
go up as far as your curiosity takes you. The TI calculators don't have
a stack. They have a history, which is nice, it allows you to go up and
re-enter an expression, but it lacks that spontaneous push-pop play of
the stack.

* Now RPN

Don't get me wrong, RPN---Reverse Polish Notation---is a great way to
think about numbers and operating on them. But all by itself, it's just
a bit more efficient in keystroke count (who cares, already!) and
strikes many people (as it did me) as a kind of backwards way of looking
at a problem. But, when combined with the stack, you really get to
understand the power and expressiveness of the RPN way of operating on
numbers.

To get into the spirit of RPN, it helps to first understand PN, Polish
Notation. Consider the following nested expression:

SIN(3 * 8 - COS(4 / 7)) - 17

This is in normal, algebraic form, pretty much just like you would enter
it into a TI calculator. This can be rewritten so that every operation
is regarded as a function that is placed in front of its operators in
parentheses, just like we do already with functions like sin(x), where
the function name goes in front of its parenthesized argument. Only in
Polish Notation, even things like '+' and '-' are regarded as functions,
so that '3+2' would be written '+(3, 2)'. Now, if we re-write the above
expression this way, we get this:

-(SIN( -( *(3, 8), COS( /(4, 7)))), 17)

That's Polish Notation, or prefix notation. Each function is written at
the front of the parentheses that surround its arguments. The idea of
Reverse Polish Notation is that the function could go *after* the
parentheses that surround its arguments just as well. So, '3+2' would
be written '(3,2)+'. Now, our complicated expression looks like this:

((((3, 8)*, ((4, 7)/)COS)-)SIN, 17)-

Now here, finally, is the punch line. Using this Reverse, or postfix,
notation, we can erase all the commas and all the parentheses:

3 8 * 4 7 / COS - SIN 17 -

As long as we know how many arguments each function takes, this
expression is completely unambiguous. With algebraic notation, we needed
parentheses to specify the order of operations. As it turns out, *any*
expression can be written in RPN without parentheses to specify the
order of operations and without any ambiguity. Furthermore, we can enter
the expression strictly left-to-right.

But the real pay-off is that this notation is perfectly suited to
working with a stack! See, we push 3 and 8 onto the stack then press
'*', which pops 3 and 8 from the stack and pushes 24 onto the
stack. Then we push 4 and 7 onto the stack, hit the divide key and the 4
and 7 get popped from the stack while
0.571428571429 gets pushed onto the stack. Hit COS, and
0.999950266956 goes onto the stack (replacing the 0.57...), and our 24
pushed up. Then, '-' gives 23.000049733, SIN gives 0.390731927492, we
push 17, then '-' and -16.6092680725 is sitting on the stack ready for
any further calculation.

Yes, yes, the RPN notation is only 11 keystrokes, while the algebraic is
15, saving a whopping 4 keystrokes, all parentheses, but that's not the
beauty of RPN. RPN shines because it works with the stack, and the stack
gives you a visible, interactive, and universal mechanism for reading
inputs and writing outputs. Only the HP calculators sport this
combination of a stack and RPN.

* Elegant Programming

Having a stack and a notation that takes advantage of it are enough to
sell me on the HP-50g all by themselves. But, since both the HP-50g and
the TI-89 are *programmable* calculators, it is really important to know
how elegant a programming environment each provides. Here is where the
HP really rockets ahead. I have owned both calculators for many years,
and I've spent many hours programming the HP, but almost none with the
TI's. Why? Well, the HP provides a language and facilities that make
programming the thing a pleasure. It's language is called "User RPL,"
and the RPL stands for "Reverse Polish Lisp," but it is really more
reminiscent of FORTH than Lisp.

An RPL program, in its simplest form, consists of a series of commands
enclosed in guillemots, those funny foreign quote characters that look
like this '<< >>'. With a single keystroke, I get these delimiters
placed in the command-line with the cursor conveniently placed between
them, ready to enter the program. The elegant part of the HP-50g's
programming language is that every program by default works with the
stack exactly as you do when doing regular arithmetic. Let's say for
example, that you want to work out the hypotenuse of a right triangle
given the lengths of the two short sides, using the Pythagorean Theorem.
If 'a' and 'b' are the lengths of the two given sides, the hypotenuse
has a length equal to 'SQRT(a^2 + b^2)'. What's nice about programming
the HP is that I write my program assuming that the two input numbers, a
and b, are sitting on the stack. Then, I just enter the program like
this:

<< [x^2] [SWAP] [x^2] + [SQRT] >>

The [bracket] denotes a single keystroke on the calculator, thus [x^2]
is the squaring key, [SQRT], the square root key. [SWAP] swaps the order
of the two numbers on the stack. Having entered this little program, I
hit [ENTER] and it goes onto the stack, just like numbers do. Then I can
enter a name on the stack, say 'HYP', and hit the [STO] key, and my
little program now has the name HYP. If I put 3 4 on the stack and hit
HYP, I get 5 on the stack, just as Pythagoras said I would.

There's a whole lot more to programming than this, but this little thing
exemplifies the how easy it is to do "quick and dirty" programs and put
them to work right away. The input-output facility of the stack keeps
me from having to worry about where the arguments come from and where
they go to. No blabby prompts to worry about to get the two arguments.
And because it uses the stack, this little program becomes an extension
to the built-in facilities of the calculator that I can use in the
middle of a longer calculation. In fact, it can become a small part of
a larger program.

User RPL also has if-then constructions, while- and for-loops, error
traps, dialog boxes, and all the other paraphernalia you expect from a
decent programming language. But for me, the ability to quickly crank
out little stack-based programs is where the HP-50g really shines.

The TI-89 also provides an editor and an environment for writing
programs, but the language is more like BASIC. It requires keywords,
like Function and Program, declaration of local variables, and so forth.
The language feels ponderous and more "computer" like than the
nimbleness of the HP.

Oh, and I almost forgot. The HP has a debugger that allows you to
single-step through your programs when they don't do what you think they
should. You can actually watch the stack do its thing during the
execution of a program. This is really handy.

* Single-key operation

I skirted over an issue, and a really important one, in that last
section. I said I could put 3 4 on the stack and "hit" HYP to get a 5.
But there is no HYP key on the HP-50g. Or is there? Well, there is.
There is a [VAR] key that causes a menu of "soft keys" to appear on the
bottom of the screen below the stack with the names of all the variables
I've created with the [STO] key. If I have stored a program in the
variable, I can run the program by hitting the key underneath the HYP
soft key label.

This means I can run the program with a single keystroke. You can see up
to six variables in the soft key menus and page through the rest six at
a time by hitting the [NXT] key. So I have single keystroke access to
every variable. There is never a need to use the [RCL] command. No need
to retype HYP every time I want to use it. By contrast, on the TI, I
can write a program called HYP, but when I want to invoke it, I have to
type H-Y-P-(-3-,-4-). That's eight keystrokes to three (3 4 HYP) on the
HP. As little as I think of the keystroke efficiency argument in
discussing RPN versus algebraic, this *is* a BIG DEAL. What if the name
were 'HYPOTENUSE'? Still one key on the HP; you can count 'em for
yourself on the TI.

In addition, the HP lets you assign programs to *any* key on the
keyboard using any combination of unshifted, left-shifted,
right-shifted, and more. This makes any program accessible whether the
soft-key menus are showing or not.

* Directory Structure

Here's another well-thought-out feature of the HP-50g: it's clever
implementation of directories. The calculator's memory is organized
into a tree-structured set of directories, with a directory called HOME
at the top. You can create directories under HOME, and directories
under those, and so on as deep as you like. These directories are like
the directories on a computer, but the "files" are variables. This
provides a nice, easy way to organize your work. When you start out on
a long problem, the first thing you should do is create a directory for
your work. This keeps all your variables from conflicting with
variables of the same name you might have used for other problems.

Furthermore, when you are working in a directory, all the variables in
that directory are available for use as well as all the variables in
every directory between your current directory and HOME at the root of
the tree. So the variables in the HOME directory are global, while each
subdirectory under it creates a kind of nested name-space below it.
This setup is easy to understand and allows you create whole branches of
memory that share common programs for a given problem area.

But that's not all. In each directory you can create a variable called
'CST' that allows you to create a customized "soft key" menu for just
that directory. This is in addition to the 'VAR' menu you get in every
directory for free.

* The SD Card

Finally, the HP-50g supports the insertion of an SD card. My calculator
has a 1GB card, which I will never fill. It also has a USB cable, like
the TI, for transferring files to and from your computer, but I find
having an SD card reader attached to my computer makes transfers really
easy. It won't run programs directly from the SD, but it makes for an
excellent backup for your whole directory structure, and from there you
can backup to your computer.

I just received mine in the mail today. I do not think that it is officially even released in the US; at least, it is not on HP's English language website yet.

This is the first HP calculator I have ever owned and my impressions so far have generally been very positive. It seems just like the 49g+, but with a fully plastic case and keyboard, a serial port, and a four cell battery compartment.

Compared to the TI-89, the HP-50 seems more powerful. The CAS seems a little stronger, it has a lot more built-in mathematical, scientific, and engineering applications, and the hardware is far superior. The calculator runs on a ARM processor similar to the speeds on low-end pocket PCs, unlike the TI-89's slow custom processor, but the CAS runs on an emulated processor, so it is not as fast as it could be. The HP also has an infrared port and a SD expansion card, so it has no realistic memory limits.

Its liabilities are that the screen seems a little smaller than the TI-89's, the calculator is not nearly as user-friendly as the TI-89's, the calculator only comes with a basic manual of about 100-200 pages while the full 900 page manual is only available on CD, and there does not seem to be as much third party support as for the TI-89.

But if you want the most powerful portable mathematical system available in a handheld calculator, this is definitely a must-buy.

The HP-50G is Hewlett Packard's latest offering in the line of top-end calculators stretching back through the HP-49 and HP-48, all the way to the "dawn-era" of scientific calculators in the 1970's, when the HP-65 and 67/97 defined "high-end" calculators. This device is so powerful, and has so many potential capabilities, that in many ways it is much more than a "calculator"; better to call it a handheld "computer", one dedicated to mathematics, rather than general purpose use like a PDA. The HP-50, at only $115, is a lot more affordable than most PDA's too.
In fact, the HP-50g is so powerful that most owners will never tap it's full capabilities. Programing it in SystemRPL or Assembly language opens up an instruction set of some 3000 commands! Even if you don't write software for it, the HP-50g has enormous capabilities to solve complex algebraic and calculus problems right in the built in Equation Solvers and Computer Algebra Systems (the CAS).

For users of more traditional calculators, the HP-50g may seem intimidating , if not overwhelming. One problem that I had right off the bat is that much of the keyboard is dedicated to programming and equation solving, rather than simple math functions. Unleashing the potential of this beast requires programming, whether you do it yourself or buy commercial software. The HP-50g can of course be used to do simple math, but that would be like using a 12 pound sledgehammer to set finishing nails.

Noteable features:
-Programs and user data can be stored on SD flash cards, up to 2 gigabytes. Accessing the calculator's various memory areas is not unfamiliar to anyone who has ever used a PC computer: anything stored in the calculator is an "object" with a name, whether it be a data file, executable program, or program library. Objects can be separated and stored in discrete subdirectories. There are three memory "ports": Port 1 is located in RAM (this is volatile memory that requires maintenance of the CR-2032 memory battery), Port 2 is located in the HP-50g's built-in non-volatile flash memory, and Port 3 is your SD card if one is installed. Programs and program libraries can be executed from any of the three ports; with a 2 gig SD card, this means that the capacity of the HP-50 to store programs and data files is virtually unlimited.
-The RPN Stack shows 7 levels visible, compared to only 2 for lesser calculators like the HP-33s and 35s.
-Graphing capabilities. Not sure whether I will ever actually need this myself, but it's there.
-Connectivity: Comes with a USB cable and software to connect the calculator to your PC for uploading/downloading. Also has a serial port to allow the HP-50 to connect to other devices that use RS-232 comm protocol. For example, with the appropriate cable and software, the HP-50g can be used as a Survey data collector/controller with many brands of Total Stations, digital Theodolites, and digital levels.

CONCLUSION- This is the "ultimate" calculator, and probably "too much" calculator for most people who are not nuclear physicists or aerospace engineers. The learning curve is very steep, and even the "simplest" of the three available programming languages (UserRPL) is not "easy" to learn. For general use by engineering or surveying students, or anyone else who just needs a good general purpose algebra and trig machine with good programmability, the HP-33s and 35s are much easier to learn and make use of right out of the box. The HP-50g is not allowed in the National (NCEES) Engineer or Land Surveyor exams (it is allowed in some of the State-Specific exams). The HP-33s and 35s are allowed in NCEES exams, as of November 2007. Be sure to check the NCEES website for changes in their calculator policy before you walk into one of their exams, as the policy does change occasionally (the HP-35s was just added to the "Approved" list in Nov. 2007)

UPDATE: September 2010. This calculator really goes through batteries, especially if you run processor or graphics intensive programs a lot. While I was developing a State Plane Coordinates conversion program for it, my HP-50 was eating a set of batteries about every two weeks. Recommend you run it off of a USB power source when possible to save the batteries.

I have used HP calulators since 1973. I own a 49G and a 49G+. The keyboards of these products left a lot to be desired. Even though the 50g is virtully identical to the 49G+, the keyboard and display are much improved. The 50g also has a better look and feel than th 49G+. It reminds me of the old HP quality.

I've owned a number of HP calculators-- from the 32s to the 49g+. In general I like HP equipment. I like reverse polish and that keeps me coming to HP. I liked the functionality of the 49g+, but alas! it seemed as if it were an HP calculator in a Casio body. Hated the color and the cheap feel of the keyboard. With the HP 50G the HP touch is back! GREAT calculator; getting the user's guide (on line from HP, .pdf format) is a MUST. The 50G has a number of built-in math functions lacking in the 49G+. It has easier connectivity and formats an SD card! (Instructions in the manual supplied with the 50G for formatting are not quite right, but it's easy to figure out!). I down loaded Tetris and a C-compiler for the 49G+, I'll port those to the 50G,and I doubt if I'll ever use the 49G+ again. I've learned to program a bit using RPL and this makes the calculator quite powerful. This is the calculator I expected from HP.

The HP50G eliminates the keyboard problems that plagued the 49G+. With this change, this unit runs head-to-head with the TI89. But if you like RPN as I do, the 50G is the only one to choose. The 50G has powerful programming capabilities. The infrared transmitter and SD card capability is compatible with the 49G+. The manual included is brief, but you can download pdf manuals from HP for the 49G+ that serve well for the 50G. These include the 175-page user's manual, the 862-page user's guide, and the 635-page advanced user's reference manual.

HP calculator quality is back! I expect to be using this model as long as I have the HP11C (still running and in use since 1982) and the HP48G (since 1994).

I've had my HP-50G since 2/24/2007 after purchasing it from Amazon. I also own a TI-89 Titanium. The TI-89 Titanium is in my humble opinion an easier machine to use, but less powerful than the HP-50G. More functionality and power tends to mean a steeper learning curve, so if you want the most powerful, choose the HP-50G, if you want one that is initially easier to use, choose the TI-89 Titanium. Either way, you can't go wrong as they are both fine machines.

Having said that, here is why I prefer the HP-50G:

1. First off, it offers both Algebraic and RPN modes natively.

2. The CAS is powerful and can be set up for step-by-step simplification (collection or expansion of terms).

3. RPL is a *LOT* more powerful and (again, in my humble opinion) simpler -- you can do a lot more with far fewer keystrokes than with TI's BASIC.

4. The SD Card slot is perfect for transferring programs and HP Objects between the calculator and the PC.

5. It has a built-in Equation Library, SysRPL, as well as an ARM Assembler/Disassembler and Saturn processor emulator. (Translation: it is a Geek's "Dream Machine". :)

There are many other reasons that I prefer the HP over the TI, but those are the highlights.

There are some neat "Easter Eggs" hidden in the HP as well, including a great Tetris game. (Run the Equation Writer application, click ALPHA-ALPHA to lock it, enter MINEISBETTER, click ALPHA to turn off the alpha lock, then click the up arrow and press SIMP (F6). All of the flags must be in their factory-release setting too.) Viola - Tetris!

Finally, although it is *initially* a more difficult machine to learn to use than the TI, it can be customized with incredible ease, and features all sorts of "event handling" stubs to use for this purpose. What this translates to is the machine allows you to *MAKE IT* easier to use for yourself with custom menus, user programmable keys, etc.

It's more rugged and the keyboard is better than the HP-49s too. You can't go wrong with the HP-50G.

I received my HP 50g as a warranty replacement for an HP 49g+. Whilst I was extremely impressed with the number of functions the HP 49g+ offered, along with the computational speed, I was not impressed with the keyboard. The keys were stiff, the backing hollow sounding, and the impression was that it wouldn't last. Well, it didn't. After a key breakage, it was sent back to Hewlett Packard and replaced with the HP 50g. I should add here that the HP calculator customer support section was wonderful. Once the problem was reported to HP, I was advised that the calculator would be replaced, I sent it to HP and received the replacement a few days later. Great service!

The HP 50g has all the functionality of the HP 49g+, which is a very good thing, as I couldn't fault the HP 49g+ on this score. However, the keyboard is a world apart from the HP 49g+. The keys are not as stiff, the hollow sound is gone, missed key strokes are a thing of the past (provided KEYTIME is set to 500), data entry is now quick and easy (and accurate), and the look and feel of the calculator is now that of quality. Also, even though I liked the gold paint on the HP 49g+, I have to admit that the HP 50g colour scheme is more impressive. As stated by another reviewer, the HP 50g looks like a serious mathematical computing device (which it is).

Yes, like the HP 49g+, it does require a bit of learning to make full use of the functions, but it's worth the effort. Operation of the calculator does become quite intuitive, making the calculator a joy to use, and of course the ability to use RPN is a godsend - so superior to algebraic data entry (which of course you can still use if you want, as the calculator has the choice of RPN or algebraic data entry).

Provided the HP 50g has the build quality that it appears to have (and I don't have any doubts at this stage), then I can see myself having this calculator for many years, just like the HP calculators of old. As another reviewer said - HP is back! And it's a welcome return!!