New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

General discussion about calculators, SwissMicros or otherwise
Post Reply
BruceH
Posts: 82
Joined: Sat May 06, 2017 2:39 am

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by BruceH »

Pyjam wrote:
Wed May 17, 2023 8:31 pm
Walter wrote:
Tue May 09, 2023 12:21 am
Who did the translation to German? :roll:
It's so easy though. Even a Frenchman knows that:  »zientivik kalkülator«.
I presume the problem with the German translation is that it's two short words when we all know that there's bound to be a single, much longer word. :D
Pyjam
Posts: 495
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2023 5:01 pm
Location: France

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by Pyjam »

:lol:

  Optimot : The ⌥ keyboard layout optimized for French and English (ŵïþ ʃʉŋ 𝕂åʁɒꝃțɛɹṩ).
vaklaff
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 9:23 am
Location: Czechia

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by vaklaff »

BruceH wrote:
Thu May 18, 2023 12:04 am
I presume the problem with the German translation is that it's two short words when we all know that there's bound to be a single, much longer word. :D
Sir, you made my day, sir! :P
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by HPMike »

Just found this >>> https://hpcalcs.com/product/hp-15c-collectors-edition/

Presumably, it will be widely available in July, 2023, and pre-orders can be placed in Europe, Asia/Pacific and the UK.

https://youtu.be/9RF1mR_o6-0

Edit - I've gone ahead and ordered one from Oxford Educational Supplies in the UK. It cost 120.83 GBP (151.19 USD) including 25 GBP (~31 USD) for shipping to the USA. I did check some of the European merchants, but shipping was more expensive. There's no indication that it will ever be sold locally in the USA, and it may be sold out by the time they ship in July.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by HPMike »

Another thing that I found is that it is made in Philippines, not China, same as the more recently manufactured HP 12c Platinum. I've had a very good experience with the quality of the HP 12c Platinum that I bought in 2022, with none of the keyboard problems that I experienced with the Made in China HP 15c Limited Edition.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
Chumango
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:00 am

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by Chumango »

Production of the 35S moved to the Philippines in 2015. My guess is that the same was true of the 12C.
HPMike
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:01 pm
Location: DFW, Texas

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by HPMike »

Chumango wrote:
Fri May 19, 2023 3:40 am
Production of the 35S moved to the Philippines in 2015. My guess is that the same was true of the 12C.
Well, at least in the case of the 12c Platinum, not sure if the regular 12c production was also moved. I bought my HP 35s in 2007, when it was still made in China.
DM15L, S/N 00548. DM42, SN: 00159. DM41X, SN: 00973. DM32, SN 00054.
redglyph
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 11:45 am

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by redglyph »

That's great news! How did that happen? Thanks to the people involved!

Let's hope there's no surprise in the firmware and that it can be easily updated if need be.

Moravia are those who took over the HP Prime (from what they say they weren't involved from the start), and hopefully they'll be able to improve it a little.
fra04
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu May 04, 2023 3:55 pm
Location: Italy

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by fra04 »

Bill K. - USA wrote:
Sun May 14, 2023 11:14 pm
I began college at a 2-year school studying engineering, and at the end of it I bought a high-end programmable calculator, knowing how valuable it would be in my studies. Then I transferred to a four-year college and transferred to physics. Truth: I scarcely ever pulled that calculator out in my physics classes. Now I would've killed for a calculator with a CAS ability--Computer Algebra System--that could've solved integrals for me, but those didn't exist back then. (HP Prime or TI-Nspire CX II CAS or some such.) Shoot, desktop computers were only just coming out then, the IBM XT and AT, and the MacIntosh, the Commodore 64, etc.

In engineering, I calculated a lot and I programmed a lot. In physics, it was a different kind of math: we worked with symbols, and rarely, if ever, wanted a numeric answer--and when we did, all we really cared about was the exponent, which you compute by adding and subtracting. We'd solve matrices at times, but again we took pains to choose our coordinate systems and make simplifying assumptions so that the math was easy.

Now I know a lot has changed, and it could be that numeric calculation is now a bigger portion of the physics curriculum, but it's just something to consider . . .

That said, I do think having a capable, programmable calculator is great choice for new science students: learn it before you go to school and it'll always be there when you need it! And many students change their study major in the first year or two, so who knows.
Thank you very much Bill, and also the others who answered my questions. Sorry, but I could write this post only now, because I was quite busy the previous weeks, due to the many school tests I had. Thank you Bill for telling me your experience, which I found very useful to understand a little bit what I'm going to do next year. I believe that hearing former students' experiences can be really helpful for future ones!
Now, I've seen dm32 is just came out, and, despite its fewer programming capabilities, it costs even more than dm42. So the choice is likely between hp 15c and dm42. By searching in university's website I found the list of the exams I'll take. As you wrote before, numeric calculations will be quite simple, so hp 15c should be enough. But, given the price of 129,99 euros plus shipping costs, well, is it really worth it? I would not want to buy the revival of an old calculator, which was created especially for collectors, but a good, new calculator. That is my fear. What do you think about?
I would have also another question: I'm really interested in RPN calculators, so I could also spare some more money to buy the dm42, which, I'm sure, I would spend the entire summer holidays on (if I bought it). I know, the second one is far better in programming, but what could I do with a dm42 which I could not on hp 15c? Could you give me some examples?
Thank you again guys, and sorry for the banal questions!
DM42, Emu48, Emu71.
Bill K. - USA
Posts: 157
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2022 7:49 pm

Re: New "HP"-15C Collectors Edition

Post by Bill K. - USA »

Programming on the HP-15C is limited. It is "keypress programmed" (as is the DM42), but the HP-15C doesn't show text. Which means that when you program a square root action, it doesn't show SQRT or the square-root symbol, but rather "11", which is the row & column position of the square root key on the calculator keypad. (So reading and debugging a program is slow.) You also cannot label variables or store any textual hints of any sort. And it only shows one value at a time. (The DM42 can show 4 or more values on the stack, or several lines of a program all at once.) Now if you're just going to crunch numbers and do simple-ish physics-type computations (like polar to rectangular conversions, or hyperbolic functions, or logs, etc.), then the HP-15C is fine. It's the calculator I grab whenever I need to do any math.

Now I think, when the DM32 is fully completed, it might be a fine machine for what you may be looking for--but from the sound of things it appears that much work is still needed (likely many, many month's worth) before it reaches its full potential. (I could be wrong about that BTW.)

The DM42 is also a strong option, but I found it complicated to use for many of its commands are buried inside menus, as it has only one shift key.

But, if you get the DM42, you could also flash it (for free) to the WP43 or to the C47. Unfortunately, the keys on the WP43 have different labels than the DM42 does, so you would need to use stickers on the keys (yuck!). The C47, though, uses the same keys, so you would just need a paper template to glue to the faceplate, which you can download and print and cut yourself. (There's also a plastic factory-produced faceplate on the horizon, BTW. And know that the WP43 needs a template in addition to key stickers.) The WP43 and C47 use pretty much the same underlying calculator engine with different interfaces, with the WP43 being fully documented while the documentation for the C47 is sketchy.

The C47 and WP43 are still being developed, but from what I see, they seem to be much, much farther along than the DM32 is. The C47 is soon to release some improved UI features (in a week or so), and once that is out and once they standardize the keypress timing (in some future release), I think the C47 will be a splendid choice. (At some point, I hope SwissMicros will release a fully realized C47 using the DM32's underlying hardware, but that is likely at least a year or two away--and they still have to decide whether to keep the one shift key, or to go to two shift keys.)

Now if you're committed to RPN, there are other HP calculator options as well: you could find on the second-hand market a HP-50g ($150-$500) or an HP-35S (maybe similar prices). But probably the cheapest HP RPN option would be a new HP Prime G2 which you can get for about $130. The cool thing about the Prime is that it can do CAS (Computer Algebra System), which would be very helpful for doing calculus in a physics curriculum.

I'm not fond of the Prime, though: I find its color display to be pixelated, and it feels more like a mini-computer than a calculator, and you have to learn the individual apps. And if I need a computer, I'm going to go full bore and pull out a laptop with a keyboard I can type on. Now the Prime does support RPN, but it's not as smooth IIRC as it is on more traditional HP calculators.

All of these calculators have emulators that you can load on your computer and try them out, by the way.

So what would I recommend for you? A year or two from now, I would recommend the DM32 or the C47. (But you of course can't wait that long.) I don't think I'd recommend the HP-15C anymore, because there are better options nowadays. But unfortunately, most HP (non-financial) calculators have to be bought on the secondary market, and they command a premium in price, and price is a factor for you. But if you want RPN, you pretty much have to stick with HP.

You could of course go away from RPN and HP, and consider the TI-89 Titanium ($125) or the TI-Nspire CX II CAS ($150).

It's a tough question, with there being all sorts of pluses and minuses for every choice.
Post Reply