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For whatever reason my high school had HP48s for my junior year math class, which got replaced the following year for TIs since “that’s what you’ll be using in college”. I much preferred the RPN and ended up convincing my parents my life would be easier with a new HP49g (which wasn’t a lie, it was). That thing helped get me through my math major and I’ll always remember my old school professor who taught my complex analysis course amazed that it could even solve those equations (which I’m sure the TIs could do as well).



The HP48s has a much nicer keyboard than the HP49g though! HP48gx may have been a suitable upgrade instead :)


With the GX (which I got, and it still works) you could run metakernel [0], which itself was one heck of an upgrade over the base system and really an unbelievably impressive effort in its own right. It pushed the hardware so much farther it's still stunning. The HP48 remains one of my favorite calculation devices ever, with a great ratio of utility for both the most simple brainstorming calculations and going right into great depth. I'm still bummed my favorite emulator for iOS devices (m48+) stopped getting updates and faded away, and also that HP let its calculator division languish. What a tool.

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0: https://www.hpcalc.org/hp48/apps/mk/mk.php


I used a CASIO FX-880P during university, but my dream one would be HP-48GX, unfortunately a bit too out of budget for my former self.


I agree with this and definitely would tell 17 year old me to go for the 48gx instead!


I never used an HP, but I did have a TI-89, and used a program for it that added RPN input.




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