![]() contains the most RPN calculating power per volume (cm^3 or milli-pint or whatever unit you prefer),.Message #5 Posted by Walter B on 17 July 2007, 1:39 a.m., The very nice HP35S gives me some hope I may see that one day. I'm still waiting for the machine that the lineal descendant of the 42S would have been, if the line hadn't abruptly veered off into RPL. But the 42S is also 20 years out of date now, and it's age shows in the slow CPU, small screen and limited memory. ![]() The lack of external I/O other than printing was the biggest flaw. I need to revisit this opinion in detail with the recent release of the 35S, but my gut feeling is that the 42S still retains the crown. ![]() I'm in the camp that says the 42S was the zenith of RPN keystroke programmable calculators. But aside from that, Free42 can give you an accurate picture of what the 42 is like to program and use. Admittedly, clicking buttons on your screen is quite different from pressing keys on a real calculator. It's a very nice and faithful software implementation of a 42S that runs on an incredibly wide set of platforms. If you just want to see what all the hubub is about, without laying out a lot of cash, go get Free42. Perhaps those two facts account for the premium price the latter commands. There are many, many more 41Cs out there than 42Ses. The 42S is compatible with the 41C at the user code level. The 41C is still very popular, judging by the numbers that get posted to the nite that must not be samed. Message #4 Posted by Howard Owen on 17 July 2007, 1:31 a.m., That's one reason why they are so expensive and highly desired. I would venture to say that a lot of people feel the same way. Yet even with that said, and even owning 20+ other HP calcs all the way up to current models, I still think the 42s is one of my most favorite calculators. My all-time, pick-only-one favorite calc is probably the 19c it's just way cool in a nostalgic way for me. A different programming model, a completely different display, different approach, etc.Īlso, the 42s is much harder to find than the 48 family, of which there are still zillions on the market. The 48sx went a completely different way, so it was hard to compare the two families. ![]() Some will probably say that the 42s was the peak of perfection for the classic HP calcs. It was also a serious scientific calc, highly programmable, fast and it looked great. Those who wanted all of the power of the 41 family - without needing the expansion capabilities - were in heaven. It sort of brought the best of all worlds to a much smaller form factor, and I think the intention was (at the time) to be the "ultimate" calculator in every way. Good question! First, the 42s was the successor to the VERY popular (and some would say, industry-changing) 41 family. Message #3 Posted by Bruce Bergman on 16 July 2007, 11:55 p.m., I've just been offered one for $275, and honestly I'm sorry to say that I'm temptedīuy it, resell on The Auction Site That Must Not Be Named, then use the profit to buy a shiny new HP 35S or two. OK, I give in! Why is the HP 42s so expensive on the used market? Prices between $300 and $400 seem to be very common on The Auction Site That Must Not Be Named. In response to message #1 by Seth Morabito Message #2 Posted by DaveJ on 16 July 2007, 11:32 p.m., They're only worth money to me if I find them a pleasure to use or play with) What makes the 42S worth so much? Are they really that good, or are they just inflated because people buy and sell them for the monetary value alone? (I prefer to use my calculators, rather than let them sit. I've never used one - I went straight to the 48SX - so I'm at a loss. I've just been offered one for $275, and honestly I'm sorry to say that I'm tempted, because anything that expensive must really be the bee's knees, right? Message #1 Posted by Seth Morabito on 16 July 2007, 11:19 p.m. Why is the HP 42s so expensive? The Museum of HP Calculators
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |