Reverse Polish Notation: Do you still use it? If not, why not?

[short-Timer]

30 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

In response to your question whether there is a very good RPN calculator for ANDROID phones.....

 

a. The answer is YES, of course.

b. I have been using this one for a long time, and upgraded it in 2019.

c. I like it.  But, also of course, you do NOT get the feel of those trapezoidal HP keys, which were just PURE DELICIOUSNESS to use. 

 

 

 

 

You, too, can return to Heaven when you return to RPN on ANDROID.

 

I do not touch any APPLE Garbage, OF COURSE.  Hate Apple, the company, for being CONTROL FREAKS.

 

This app, at less than USD4.00....is the best app I have ever purchased, for the money.

Buy once and use forever.

 

 

It even has a function which helps you cook Chinese noodles.

 

And, no doubt, it's faster and more  powerful than any HP calculator, even my HP65, of the middle 1970s, when our astronauts might have taken HP stuff to the Moon, and back.

 

Therefore, I suggest that everyone just try it for a week, and you will never go back to AN.

I will never return to AN.

 

The first calculator, handheld, I used was an old TI.

But, HP was so much better.

 

HP-65 specs here:  http://www.datamath.org/Related/HewlettPackard/HP65.htm

 

 

 

Dearest GammaGlamm,

 

Ah, Heaven, thy name is RPN.

 

Thank you for confirming that the Android app exists. I must admit, I’ve been wandering in the wilderness of arithmetic for far too long, unaware that salvation was just a download away. Imagine my delight at discovering that there’s still a way to embrace the brilliance of RPN, even in this cold, lifeless digital age where buttons are just… illusions on a screen.

 

 

 

Still, I’ll admit, I’ve been hesitant to embrace a digital version of something so divine. You see, the tactile sensation of an HP calculator wasn’t just a tool, it was a love affair. Each click of those trapezoidal keys felt like a tiny promise that the universe could make sense. But if this app can bring me even a fraction of that joy, then perhaps it’s worth a leap of faith. I mean, isn’t that what progress is? A leap, sometimes blind, but hopefully rewarding.

 

Pure deliciousness, indeed. You captured it perfectly. Those keys were like fine chocolates, melting into the soul of your fingertips as you punched in calculations that felt as smooth as silk. And at less than USD 4.00? That’s almost an insult to what this app might be capable of. A coffee these days barely gets you a smile, but for four dollars, this app could resurrect my long-lost love for mathematical precision. It almost seems too good to be true.

 

 

 

Still, I can’t help but mourn the loss of that tactile magic. There’s something about the physical world that apps can never replicate. The weight of the calculator in your hand, the slightly worn edges of the keys from years of loyal service, and the smug satisfaction of knowing your HP could outperform anything else in its time. It wasn’t just functionality. It was art. It was a ritual. It was life.

 

As for Apple… I feel your disdain. Oh, how I do. The very thought of Apple’s restrictive ecosystem makes me shudder. Control freaks, indeed, dictating how we live, work, and calculate, as if we’re mere puppets in their white minimalist world. Nothing about them could ever replicate the freedom and elegance of true RPN, where logic reigns supreme, untethered by the constraints of design trends and shiny marketing.

 

I’m curious, though… What’s this about cooking Chinese noodles? That alone might sell me on this app. Is it a recipe guide, a timer, or does it simply whisper sweet encouragements as I stir the pot? Is there anything this app can’t do? I feel as though I’ve been missing out on a treasure trove of possibilities, all because I was stuck in my ways, loyal to the past but blind to the future.

 

 

Perhaps it’s not the same as the HP-65 that went to the Moon and back, but if it can take me to the kitchen and make dinner, I’d say that’s still pretty impressive. NASA might not call, but my stomach will thank me. And while it may not hold the weight of space exploration in its virtual circuits, this app sounds like it carries the spirit of invention and practicality that defined an era.

 

 

 

I’ll give this app a shot, Gamma. I trust your judgment more than I trust my own sometimes. If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me. You’ve never steer anyone wrong, and I know you wouldn’t now. If it can truly bring me back to the glory days of RPN, then I’ll gladly embrace it with open arms and a hopeful heart.

 

And I promise, if you were disappear from AN over this then I would fully understand why. The very idea feels like sacrilege now. I can see clearly that RPN is the one true way, the path forward, and the only method worthy of our loyalty.

 

 

 

 

Forever loyal to RPN,

A Reformed Calculator Enthusiast

[GammaGlobulin]

4 minutes ago, short-Timer said:

 

Dearest GammaGlamm,

 

Ah, Heaven, thy name is RPN.

 

Thank you for confirming that the Android app exists. I must admit, I’ve been wandering in the wilderness of arithmetic for far too long, unaware that salvation was just a download away. Imagine my delight at discovering that there’s still a way to embrace the brilliance of RPN, even in this cold, lifeless digital age where buttons are just… illusions on a screen.

 

 

 

Still, I’ll admit, I’ve been hesitant to embrace a digital version of something so divine. You see, the tactile sensation of an HP calculator wasn’t just a tool, it was a love affair. Each click of those trapezoidal keys felt like a tiny promise that the universe could make sense. But if this app can bring me even a fraction of that joy, then perhaps it’s worth a leap of faith. I mean, isn’t that what progress is? A leap, sometimes blind, but hopefully rewarding.

 

Pure deliciousness, indeed. You captured it perfectly. Those keys were like fine chocolates, melting into the soul of your fingertips as you punched in calculations that felt as smooth as silk. And at less than USD 4.00? That’s almost an insult to what this app might be capable of. A coffee these days barely gets you a smile, but for four dollars, this app could resurrect my long-lost love for mathematical precision. It almost seems too good to be true.

 

 

 

Still, I can’t help but mourn the loss of that tactile magic. There’s something about the physical world that apps can never replicate. The weight of the calculator in your hand, the slightly worn edges of the keys from years of loyal service, and the smug satisfaction of knowing your HP could outperform anything else in its time. It wasn’t just functionality. It was art. It was a ritual. It was life.

 

As for Apple… I feel your disdain. Oh, how I do. The very thought of Apple’s restrictive ecosystem makes me shudder. Control freaks, indeed, dictating how we live, work, and calculate, as if we’re mere puppets in their white minimalist world. Nothing about them could ever replicate the freedom and elegance of true RPN, where logic reigns supreme, untethered by the constraints of design trends and shiny marketing.

 

I’m curious, though… What’s this about cooking Chinese noodles? That alone might sell me on this app. Is it a recipe guide, a timer, or does it simply whisper sweet encouragements as I stir the pot? Is there anything this app can’t do? I feel as though I’ve been missing out on a treasure trove of possibilities, all because I was stuck in my ways, loyal to the past but blind to the future.

 

 

Perhaps it’s not the same as the HP-65 that went to the Moon and back, but if it can take me to the kitchen and make dinner, I’d say that’s still pretty impressive. NASA might not call, but my stomach will thank me. And while it may not hold the weight of space exploration in its virtual circuits, this app sounds like it carries the spirit of invention and practicality that defined an era.

 

 

 

I’ll give this app a shot, Gamma. I trust your judgment more than I trust my own sometimes. If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me. You’ve never steer anyone wrong, and I know you wouldn’t now. If it can truly bring me back to the glory days of RPN, then I’ll gladly embrace it with open arms and a hopeful heart.

 

And I promise, if you were disappear from AN over this then I would fully understand why. The very idea feels like sacrilege now. I can see clearly that RPN is the one true way, the path forward, and the only method worthy of our loyalty.

 

 

 

 

Forever loyal to RPN,

A Reformed Calculator Enthusiast

 

There is a "switch" for going from RPN to AN and back, for those who are weak-kneed.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

14 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

Bring back Log-Books and Slide Rules. I blame the invention of the digital calculator for the entire demise of Western civilization. 

 

 

It suddenly occurred to me that...

If you love tables so much...

 

Then why not expand your HORIZONS and invest USD396.00 in a vintage BOWDITCH?????

 

Believe me, there are plenty of TABLES in this book.

You could pore over a Bowditch for a year, and never be fully satisfied.

 

I recall the day when I would use a slide-rule with a Bowditch.

A slide rule never runs out of power, if you have your hands.

 

 

Back in 1852, if you had a slide rule and a Bowditch and a Sextant, you could travel the world in just a rowboat and never get lost.

Vintage books does not allow copying of the actual celestial tables, such as the Lunar tables, etc.

But, if you pay USD395.00, then you can see these tables, if the book belongs to you.

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

So, anyway....re the RealCalc Scientific Calculator RPN app for Android.

 

This app had not been updated since 2015, until recently when it was updated, but only for Android 14 and higher.

I am using Android 14.

And, SciCalc Plus works well and....Looking Good, Billy Ray.....

For less than four dollars, nothing to lose here.

 

 

I would upgrade to paid version just in order to support the developer.

But, use the free version as a test...and....also....

Just to see if you are smart enough to use this calculator app.

 

 

Note:  If not smart enough, then obviously do not upgrade to the paid version.

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

Although RealCalc app is the best, and if one might want to try an HP48 emulator instead...for FREE on Android...

Then there is always this one:

 

 

 

 

 

==========

HP sells its own emulators for Android...but...not FREE...and much more expensive than RealCalc app for Android.

I guess, judging by the number of Play Store downloads, RealCalc is still the winner.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

Another HP RPN emulator...

But, USD10.00 seems pricey to me.

Yet, cheaper than the emulators offered by HP, perhaps.

 

 

So then the question begs:

 

After one finishes installing about FIVE RPN calculator emulators on ones Android device....

Then what?

 

============

I knew you would ask.

And I have the solution for your problem.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

But, other than just for amusement, should good students at good schools use calculators?

 

No.

I don't recall using a calculator in the 1970s.

But do the students use them today?

Well, maybe for statistics, or something....

 

Still, as I say, handheld calculators are mostly just for amusement at frat parties, etc.

They should never be used for serious academic work.

 

This is the only reason I mentioned the use of RPN in this Topic, of course...

For the amusement of TV members.

 

One exception might be in the labs.

In Physics labs for example.

Sometimes calculators can be useful in such places.

 

 

 

 

[Clapped out]

5 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

....I don't recall using a calculator in the 1970s......

Does this mean you went through 70's schooling ?

 

Could you really be THAT young ?

 

 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said: