HP HP48G PLUS Graphic Calculator

Other products by Hewlett-Packard

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 3.2 x 1.2 inches ; 9.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000JBLN
• Item model number: HP48G
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #47 in	Electronics > Office Electronics > Calculators > Scientific
  #48 in	Electronics > Office Electronics > Calculators > Graphing

• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 21, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Hewlett-Packard's HP 48G+ calculator can handle just about anything, and for a reasonable price. It allows you to enter equations the way they're printed on a page; construct graphs, plots, and drawings on a display 8 lines deep by 22 characters wide; and perform calculations from basic algebra all the way up to trigonometry and advanced statistical analysis. Best of all, anyone with the patience to learn some basic, object-oriented programming can take the device far beyond its built-in limits.

We had to throw out all of our typical calculator knowledge to use the 48G+, as it uses Reverse Polish Notation (RPN, also known as postfix notation). For example, instead of pressing 2 + 2 = to get an answer, you have to press 2 ENTER 2 +. Once we learned the basics, RPN made complex calculations much easier to enter, eliminating the need for parentheses in most calculations. Studded with buttons and crammed with labels, the keypad looks impossibly crowded, but the color-coded secondary and tertiary function labels are easy to find and decipher with a little practice. A row of buttons at the top is used to select menu items that are displayed onscreen, providing even more functions in a relatively small space. Ultimately, the 48G+ offers more than 2,300 functions, over 300 of them built-in formulas and scientific constants encompassing the spectrum of the mathematical and scientific fields.

Using the 48G+ for a few weeks made it clear why this series of calculators is so popular; they're easy to work with once the initial learning curve is overcome. A complete set of built-in formulas coupled with the calculator's programmability give the device potential limited only by its 128 KB of built-in memory. If you need lots of RAM, its upgradable memory makes the higher-end 48GX a better bet; however, the 48G+ has plenty of storage for all but the most demanding students and professionals. It also comes with an infrared port for communicating with other calculators or a printer, and a connectivity kit--available separately--allows you to link the calculator to your PC for downloading new formulas and other data. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• RPN can speed data entry with practice
• Programmable--you can add nearly any feature you like
• Infrared port lets you communicate with other IR-equipped calculators

Cons:

• Cluttered keypad
• Learning RPN and basic object-oriented programming can be daunting for the novice

Product Description

HP 48G+ GRAPHING CALCULATOR

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best choice!, September 26, 1999

By A Customer

The best programable calculator is right here. Thing every engineer must have. Version 48G+ comes with 128K RAM at the price of 48G with 32K RAM. Relly powerful tool - I like it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ugly, Slow Graphing but a Grand Machine, December 4, 2001

By	newton fisher "nerdly uncki" (riverside, california United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Every comment here is right.
1. This calculator can do everything but change the baby's Pampers.
2 It is S L O W E R [drawing a graph] than the class dunce.
3 It is the best graphing calculator for the money.
4 It is made really well and will be working for your heirs long after your in the graveyard [but do leave them the users guide]
5 It uses both RPN and/or algebraic input.
6 No-One whom I know uses all the functions of this calculator.
7 The review is almost scary nearly suggesting this is not a device for mere mortals. Hogwash, my grand nephew who is blessed with the same average intelligence as I has used this calculator in middle school

There is a grand debate: Texas Instruments calculators vs. H.P. Firstly, I am a H.P. user. No doubt, though, for most tasks the T.I. will be easier for most folks but for versatility, accuracy, durability and reliability, or if you are not IN a school which requires a T.I. you are better off with the Hewlett Packard .

To be honest this is not a 'take to class everyday'. if you are in high school unless one is doing some really advanced maths. Even for much collage maths this calculator is 'overkill'.

That written if you can use it, if it is not banned if you require a graphing calculator and have the time to learn how to use this one it is great, and one will find nothing as it for any price.

If you are new to HP or RPN buy a book from Amazon titlled 'jump start The HP 48G/GX by Adams and Potter ... [dont throw away the user guide for use later].

As an aside I loaned my 48G+ to my grand nephews 9th grade 'girl' and she likes it so much she has replaced her TI with it which suggests that I am in the 48G+ market, agan. [I triied the 49 but the keyboaard STINKS]

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HP48G+ is the best calculator I've ever seen, August 19, 2000

By	Ben (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This calculator is the best buy out of all the graphing calculators out there. It's simple to use, has 128k, an infa red port (you can controll TV's and stuff), it can play 2 sounds at once (no TI can do this), and it has a bunch of software and games that can be loaded on... I'd recomend this to anyone looking for a good graphing calculator for a good price.