Customer Reviews

HP HP49G Graphing Calculator

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

The HP 49G calculator is the best calculator I have ever used (compared to other HP's TI and Casio calculators), it improves upon the features of the classic 48 series in many ways. Also this calculator includes a new step-by-step CAS feature that makes it a better choice for students than the TI 89. First of all HP has increased the memory to 1.5 MB for programs and 1 MB for the OS which is now upgradable. Also the old blue screen has been replaced with an easier to see black grayscale screen that provides improved contrast. The processor speed has been doubled and the OS tweaked for higher speeds. Students will enjoy the new step-by-step solver for integrals and derivatives specially in calculus classes.

Because many people found HP calculators difficult to use due to the RPN entry system HP has included a new easy to use algebraic mode for new users. Also there are lots of software for this calculator in categories such as games science, business and engineering. If you need an advanced calculator that can serve you in engineering and college look no further and by the HP 49G.

A note to current HP 48 series users:

HP fans have complained about the new algebraic mode and pull down menus. If you want RPN and soft menus, simply press the mode key and choose RPN and clear flag 117 and the calculator behaves just as an HP 48. Also HP has eliminated the equation library from this calculator because it was forbidden in some colleges, but you can easily download an install an equation library with all the equations of the 48 from the HPcalc organization web site. Two other important complaints I have seen are the lack of good documentation and the use of rubber keys. If you send the registration card you will receive a free advanced user's guide and about the keys, HP used rubber in order to minimize key bounce and make the OS faster and I think it was worth it.

I've been reading all these glorifying reviews on the 49g and am sorry to say I can't concur. I've used hp calculators for quite a few years now, starting with the 11c, then the 48sx, and now the 49g. After using the 48sx for about 6 years I think, maybe longer, I thought it was time to upgrade. Currently I'm a senior electrical engineering student. I always liked the 48sx, its buttons had a nice feel to them and at the time there wasn't a calculator that could touch it. School is hard enough I need all the help I can get. When TI came out with the TI89 a lot of my class mates bought them and seemed very pleased with there performance. I decided to wait for the latest flagship hp. This calculator has failed to meet my expectaions for a couple of reasons. Its buttons are hard to push. This may seem trivial but after entering enough data it gets anoying. I have yet to get it to do even the most simple integration. its little hourglass symbol just stays dispalyed and never returns a result. It also has this little quirk. Every so often it will take about 5 to 10 seconds to return a result from a simple calculation. In the middle of a test 10 seconds can seem like a long time. I would have thought HP would have made the display as least as good as the TI89, but its resolution is much lower. Since I bought one of the first ones, its possible it might function better with the newer version of its operating system. However this requires me to purchase an interface cable for my computer to dowload, another forty bucks. It does boast a lot of memory but I fail to see the need for it. Any really heavy work I would use a spreadsheet. In short I wished I would have purchased the TI89.

I recommend going to the HP website and downloading the HP 49G emulator. With this download, you can test out all of the functions of the calculator at the actual speed that it runs at. The emulator can be a hassle to operate (mainly because of having to use the mouse) but it does give the user the opportunity to get familiar with the actual product. The HP 49G is a complicated calculator but the online user's guides do help. The download is only 1.42 MB and it is free. You can find the download page at: http://www.hp.com/calculators/software/49g/index.html

Note: It is best to use 1024 x 768 screen resolution when using the emulator.

Anyone who needs a powerful calculator should look no further. The HP 49G has everything that a user could want.

This calculator is so fast that you might never use anything else ever again. There is a learning curve that the user might get over, however, after that you'll fly by everyone in class.

The file manager is awesome. A great way to control variables and equations that you have entered.

PC connection is flawless. Fast, easy, and dependable connections that will give you minimal down time. The manual can leave the user a little wanting, however, you get the advanced manuals in the mail when you send in the reg card. (You had to something like $50 for the 48GX adv. manuals)

The step by step equation solver can be a life saver. The only part that is left out is when you have to integrate by parts... it just gives you the finished product. But for everything else... a life saver.

There is also a great user base that is very supportive. And there are tons of add on tools that I find very useful.

Updating the 49G is a snap. Plug in and run the app. Your done. The ROM updates are great, and they are always coming with new features. With the TI-92 you need to buy some extra chip to upgrade the functionality.

In conclusion, I would have to say that this is simply the best calculator I have ever used. Just get it.

I have already invested far too much time in this product to try to be witty or clever about its poor quality and unfortunate design.

Power users may decide to live with its negatives because they can't find a portable alternative with equivalent math function and memory.

For all other potential customers, the HP49G gives new meaning to the marketing phrase, turning point.

Warnings: worst HP keystroke-touch for any HP Scientific Calculator; display harder to read than contemporary hi-end graphing calculators from TI or Japanese companies; documentation shipped with product would be comical if you could forget that you had just paid over a hundred dollars for it; first HP Scientific Calculator to be released with major reliability problems that caused it to crash repeatedly (but credit is due to programmers and engineers who have spent the last four years on bug fixing).

Friends show me that new versions of the 49G have improved. But it is sad to see the company throw away a reputation earned over three decades.

(Buy a 48GX Instead)

If you haven't heard, hp is shutting down calculator production with the exception of the hp10BII, hp12C, and hp30S. After buying the hp49G I can see why.

I have owned several hp calculators (28C, 28S, 48SX, 32SII) and have been very happy with them all. However, hp has lost sight of their customers... This started with the elimination of RPN on all but the top end graphic calculators. Sooo, people who don't want to make a graph don't want RPN?

My hp49G died two days after first turning it on. ... I have replaced it with a 48GX.

hp49G Pros:

* A lot of additional functions beyond those in the 48GX
* 1MB of Flash memory (Very expensive option in the 48GX)
* A little faster that the 48GX
* Slimmer profile

hp49G Cons:

* Broke after two days
* Stiff keyboard with rubber keys. If this was really a decision to reduce keyboard bounce for faster keyboard scanning, it was a bad decision. What happened to market testing?
* Classic large ENTER button has been replaced by a small ENTER button (they needed space for a lot of useless keys)
* Keyboard and calculator is over-focused on symbolic functions which would generally be used very little in comparison to the standard functions. The important keys have been buried in soft menus. I can't believe they removed the angle button for entering polar coordinates or working with phasors in electrical engineering.
* /,*,-.+ keys are not aligned with the numerical keypad as in other hp calculators which helps speed entry.
* Defaults to algebraic mode. Who's the customer? I thought this calculator was for Engineers & Scientists. Everyone who has given RPN a chance knows it's the only way to go.
* Fine line purple text on a metallic blue background. You can't tell me they didn't realize this is hard to read except in the best lighting conditions.
* Tuty Frtity colors. ... I thought these calculators were for serious engineering students and professionals. Most of the functionality in this calculator is beyond most high school students. No what market are we going after?
* What's the deal with the foam battery holders (Also in the 48GX). I would gladly pay more for conical springs.
* Lots more but I think I will stop here.

What they should built: Take the 48GX, replace the York Saturn processor with something faster with higher address space (Saturn is very old). Add more user memory. Get rid of the expensive battery backed ram cards and use put in standard compact flash port. Replace the RS232 with USB. Put in decent battery springs. Leave the rest of it alone.

I've been using HP calculators for over 14 years. I bought the 11C, 15C, 41CV, 28C, 28S, 48SX, and 48G+ (my latest). But this one was such a disappointment that I had to return it. The keys are horrible, they have a slippery feel and are hard to press--unlike the quality tactile feel of HP calculators past. The manual is an insult; it was slapped together at the last moment, it seemed. In my opinion, there's no way you could learn how to use this calculator effectively from such an anemic manual if this were your first introduction to an HP. This is not the HP calculator that I know. Although it retains much of the processing engine of the 48 series, the interface is klunky and the fonts are ugly. The worst part is not the things I just mentioned, but the fact that HP have gone backward instead of forward in producing a useful, quality calculator. Don't let this flawed product give you the wrong impression of HP calculators. They usually are top notch.

I have used a variety of HP and TI calculators for many years. I consider myself a "power" user. I bought this calculator over a year ago and I, too, was disappointed by the accompanying manual. I was satisfied more by the electronic Advanced User Guide (HP Web site) but it is written like an encyclopedia, not a step by step guide or manual. It is great to look up a function.

It turns out that you can set up the HP-49G to operate just like a HP-48 machine without giving up any of its enhancements. Next I ordered the HP-48 manuals and now I am all set. The differences are minor and usually for the better. One loss, it does not include the HP-48 Equation Library.

Also, I upgraded the HP-49G several times through the HP support Web site (ROM version 1.18 at present). They are constantly improving this calculator.

So if you know the HP-48 or would use one (like a classroom requirement), you can easily use the HP-49G instead.

I've got a TI-82, HP48, used all the Casio ones and the 49G tops all of them...even if you combine all of them. It can do so much beyond any other calculator I've ever used. The step by step solver is a magnificent tool. The graphical menu interface is excellent and for those who are frightened of the command mode in the HP's you can choose which one you want to use on this one. The traditional HP one or the one that every other manufacturer uses (ie Casio and TI). Also the keyboard resembles that of Casio and TI now and it is therefor much simpler in using for new users. you can find loads of software for it. Enjoy, cause there ain't a better calculator out there.

If you are a math or engineering student, this is the calculator to have.

Many of the issues presented by previous reviewers have been resolved. My HP49G arrived with printed manuals and connectivity cable.

The manuals could be significantly better, preferably with tutorials for varying levels of math expertise. They are just adequate to learn the functions of the calculator. The biggest disappointment is that there are still errors within the manuals, so you may need to experiment with your keying of data if it isn't producing expected results (shame on HP for this one). This could be the result of software development not keeping pace with documentation. However, from what I understand, the software for this calculator is no longer in continued development so there is little excuse why the manuals continue to be such a problem.

The buttons on the calculator do not require any more force than the TI-89. They are indeed rubber, but they have a nice feel. There is a bit of physical feedback on the buttons, which lets you know that you've made an entry. Those accustomed to the button feel of older HP calculators *will* be disappointed. You simply can not key data as quickly as you used to, but for me that is far from being a problem. I was rather displeased that the large obvious enter button had been moved and made the same size as all the other buttons (but I knew this from the photos). If this is your first HP and/or are moving from a TI, then I doubt this will be of any consequence.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you're moving from a TI or have never used an HP calculator, plan to spend a several hours just learning how to use it. Everything about this calculator can seem totally overwhelming at times. I approached the learning of this calculator by trying increasingly difficult types of math with it, which required me to learn different features. It worked well, and I am by no means a math genius.

I would have given the calculator five stars except the documentation simply needs more work. It's encouraging that the printed manuals have appeared with the product, but it's clear they really haven't fixed the errors. Furthermore, the software to connect your PC to the calculator is not very intuitive. I had to rely upon hpcalc.org to figure out how to download files into my calculator (yes, they were games).

Nevertheless, I am pleased with this calculator.