The Devon Buy Collection of HP Calculators and Related Hardware

Hewlett-Packard make different categories of calculators, from Business and Financial to Scientific and Graphing.

I collect specifically only the Graphing variety as these have larger LCD screens, have more powerful capabilities, and can thus perform more complex calculations. Plus, they come in really handy in my engineering design work.

collection of hp calculators
The HP Graphing Calculators in the collection, from left to right: HP 38G (1995), HP 48SX (1989), first HP 48GX (1993), second HP 48GX (1993), HP 50G (2010), and HP Prime (2014).
“…these calculators are quite hard to come by that you can’t buy them off the shelves anymore. As listed below, you will notice that they were acquired from various countries around the world.”

You will only see a handful of calculators here, but these items, regardless of their quantity, are considered collections when:

  1. the items are of interests to some degree of passion
  2. they are bought simply more for want than for use
  3. the want or desire for such items extends beyond their mere functions or reasons of existence
  4. such items have no true bearing on daily living, and are often considered unnecessary or a waste of money by people not in the know (great artwork and paintings come to mind!)
  5. they are usually expensive and considered poor value by people who don’t use them, although not necessarily so
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“Every HP calculator, it seems, has its strengths and purpose…”

The larger screen of these graphing HP calculators makes easier viewing of diagrams, formulae and matrices, while the power for complex calculations means it will handle complicated engineering as well as financial calculations without a hitch.

Also, I prefer the Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) over the Algebraic method of computing, which works on a stack system and hence displays better on a larger LCD screen.

david packard quote

The Collection of HP Calculators and the Specifications

I apologise if some of you found your way here expecting to see the older calculators from HP, such as the HP-35 of 1972 or the HP-91 of 1976. I do not own any of the vintage pre-1980 ones.

Nevertheless, some of the HP calculators here are quite hard to come by that you can’t buy some of them off the shelves anymore. As listed below, you will notice that they were manufactured between 1980s to more recent times, and were acquired from various countries around the world.

HP GRAPHING CALCULATORS

collection of hp calculators
Model: HP 48GX
Serial No.: 3605S00678
Made in: Singapore, 1993
Purchased: London, UK (1997)
Price (new): £249.99 / RM1,000.00
Processor: 4 MHz Yorke
Core: Saturn 1LT8
Memory: 128kB RAM expandable
Expansion: 128kB and 4MB card slots
Display: 131 x 64 pixel mono LCD
Input: Reverse Polish Notation
Prg Language: RPL
Connectivity: 1×4-pin RS-232
Wireless: HP SIR
Release Year: 1993 – 2003
Predecessor: HP 48SX
Successor: HP 49G
collection of hp calculators
Model: HP 48GX
Serial No.: ID73703820
Made in: Indonesia, 1993
Purchased: Portugal (29 January 2015)
Price (used): US$150.00 / RM570.00
Processor: 4 MHz Yorke
Core: Saturn 1LT8
Memory: 128kB RAM expandable
Expansion: 128kB and 4MB card slots
Display: 131 x 64 pixel mono LCD
Input: Reverse Polish Notation
Prg Language: RPL
Connectivity: 1×4-pin RS-232
Wireless: HP SIR
Release Year: 1993 – 2003
Predecessor: HP 48SX
Successor: HP 49G
collection of hp calculators
Model: HP 48SX
Serial No.: 3101A01747
Made in: USA, 1989
Purchased: USA (6 February 2015)
Price (used): US$60.00 / RM230.00
Processor: 2 MHz Yorke
Core: Saturn 1LT8
Memory: 32kB RAM expandable
Expansion: 128kB RAM/ROM card slots
Display: 131 x 64 pixel mono LCD
Input: Reverse Polish Notation
Prg Language: RPL
Connectivity: 1×4-pin RS-232
Wireless: HP SIR
Release Year: 1990 – 1993
Predecessor: HP 28S
Successor: HP 48GX
collection of hp calculators
Model: HP 38G
Serial No.: ID83100923
Made in: Indonesia, 1995
Purchased: USA (7 February 2015)
Price (used): US$20.00 / RM76.00
Processor: 4 MHz Yorke
Core: Saturn 1LT8
Memory: 32kB RAM
Expansion: None
Display: 131 x 64 pixel mono LCD
Input: Algebraic
Prg Language: HP Basic
Connectivity: 2×5-pin RS-232
Wireless: HP SIR
Release Year: 1995
Predecessor: None
Successor: HP 39G, HP 40G
collection of hp calculators
Model: HP 50G
Serial No.: CNA 81102078
Made in: China, 2010
Purchased: Kuala Lumpur (2010)
Price (new): RM740.00
Processor: 75 MHz (203 MHz) Samsung S3C2410A
Core: ARM920T
Memory / Flash: 512 kB RAM / 2MB
Expansion: 2GB SD Card Slot
Display: 131 x 80 pixel mono LCD
Input: Algebraic and RPN
Prg Language: RPL, Algebraic RPL
Connectivity: USB (micro-B)
Wireless: IrDA
Release Year: 2006 – 2015
Predecessor: HP 49G+
Successor: HP Prime
collection of hp calculators
Model: HP Prime
Serial No.: 4CY3610DQR
Made in: China, 2014
Purchased: USA (2 January 2015)
Price (new): US$125.00 / RM475.00
Processor: 400 MHz Samsung S3C2416XH40
Core: ARM926EJ
Memory / Flash: 32MB RAM / 256MB
Expansion: None
Display: 320 x 240 pixel 16-bit colour multi-touch TFT LCD
Input: Algebraic and RPN
Prg Language: PPL
Connectivity: USB (micro-AB)
Wireless: None
Release Year: 2013
Predecessor: HP 50G
Successor: None at time of writing

Below are Casio calculators I have used over the years, added here simply for info. The classic Casio fx-580 was a gift from my uncle when I was about 11, and the cfx-9800G was bought when I couldn’t use the HP 48GX in my university examinations. The fx-570MS was provided by a previous employer, but was never used as I always had one of the HP above in hand.

NON-HP SCIENTIFIC CALCULATORS

calculator collection
Brand: Casio
Model: fx-580
Serial No.: 8H110A
Made in: Japan
Type: Scientific
Functions: 60
Keys: 44
Precision: 12 digits
Logic: Algebraic
Display Type: Monochrome dot matrix
Display Size: unknown
Power Source: 2 x CR2025
Dimensions: 138 x 44 x 10 mm
Weight: unknown
Yr introduced: 1982
Yr discontinued: 1985
calculator collection
Brand: Casio
Model: cfx-9800G
Serial No.: 499214
Made in: China
Type: Graphing
Functions: unknown
Keys: 58
Precision: 10 digits
Logic: Formula
Display Type: Colour LCD
Display Size: 126 x 64
Power Source: 2 x AA and 1 x CR2032
Dimensions: 172 x 85 x 20 mm
Weight: 160 g
Yr introduced: 2000
Yr discontinued: 2005
calculator collection
Brand: Casio
Model: fx-570MS S-V.P.A.M.
Serial No.: 201006
Made in: China
Type: Scientific
Functions: 401
Keys: 50
Precision: 12 digits
Logic: Formula
Display Type: Monochrome LCD
Display Size: unknown
Power Source: 1 x LR44
Dimensions: 154 x 77 x 10 mm
Weight: 145 g
Yr introduced: 2000
Yr discontinued: n/a
 
collection of hp calculators
Expansion port on the back top side
of the HP 48GX.

HP Expansion Cards are ROM cards with built-in programs and data references made to be used in the expansion slots of the HP 48SX and HP 48GX calculators. The “X” suffix in the model names denotes eXpandable.

The ROM cards vary in pricing from the basic New Mathematics Pac 1 at US$49 to the more complex Super Civil Engineering Program at US$275. Other than the usual engineering and mathematic programs, various other cards exist that make these calculators usable for geometry, surveying, celestial navigation and oil cargo calculations.

Coupled with a Garmin GPS module via the serial port, the HP 48GX could also run flight navigation programs. On a calculator. In 1995!

HP 48SX advertisement
A printed advertisement in 1990 on the HP 48SX and the bundled HP Solve Equation Library Card.

The expansion ports on the HP 48SX and HP 48GX also allow the user to increase the RAM and memory on the calculators, with Memory Expansion Cards ranging from 128 kB RAM at US$59 to a “gargantuan” 1 MB RAM at US$285.

These were the prices in the mid-1990s. The prices for these cards are not cheaper today.

Like collectibles, they have increased in pricing by about 20% to 50% over their original pricing 20 years ago, despite being of obsolete technology. The prices listed below for each card are the prices in 1997 when I bought them.

 

HP EXPANSION CARDS

HP Solve Equation Library
Card name: HP Solve Equation Library
Model No.: 82211A
Released by: Hewlett-Packard
Released in: 1990
Price: US$99.95
Features: Adds the Equation Library feature to the HP 48SX. The card became redundant when the Equation Library was built-in into the ROM of the HP 48GX, which also resulted with the G- and GX-series calculators banned from certain examinations.
sparcom math pro
Card name: Math*Pro
Model No.: 10201-1A
Released by: Sparcom
Released in: c.1995
Price: US$99.00
Features: Nearly 1,000 equations used by mathematicians, engineers and science students covering the topics of Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Hyperbolics, Calculus, Analytic Geometry, Quadric Surfaces, and Transforms (Laplace, Fourier and Z).
sparcom mechanical engineering applications pac
Card name: Mechanical Engineering Application Pac
Model No.: 10051-1A
Released by: Sparcom
Released in: c.1995
Price: US$99.00
Features: Over 300 equations from core subject areas of mechanical engineering, with eight subject areas on Beams, Gas Laws, Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, Machine Design, Stress Analysis, and Vibrations.
sparcom mechanical engineering reference pac
Card name: Mechanical Engineering Reference Pac
Model No.: 10061-1A
Released by: Sparcom
Released in: c.1995
Price: US$99.00
Features: Over 3,000 entries with subject areas covering Mechanical Properties, Liquid Properties, Gases and Vapors, Refrigerants, Elastic Properties, Thermal Conductivity, Specific Heat, Composition of Metals, Fuels and Combustion, and Environmental Control.
 

Many books and reference materials were published for the HP 48 series of calculators. I have only five of them, with prices in 1995 indicated below. Like the collectibles they are, most books on the HP 48 have gone up in pricing, such as The HP 48 Handbook by James Donnelly which went from US$19 in 1995 to almost US$100 today, 20 years later. To check or buy books currently available for the HP 48 series, click here.

HP DOCUMENTATION AND RELATED PUBLICATIONS

hp 48g series user's guide
Title: HP 48G Series User’s Guide
Published by: Hewlett-Packard
Published in: December 1994 (8th edition)
First edition: May 1993
Printed in: Singapore
No. of Pages: 564 + 32 (index pages)
Part No.: 00048-90126
Price: included with the HP 48GX
hp 48 series advanced user's reference manual
Title: HP 48G Series Advanced User’s Reference Manual
Published by: Hewlett-Packard
Published in: May 1994 (3rd edition)
First edition: July 1993
Printed in: USA
No. of Pages: 733 + 21 (index pages)
Part No.: 00048-90136
Price: US$19.00
hp 48sx quick reference guide
Title: The HP 48SX Quick Reference Guide
Published by: Hewlett-Packard
Published in: 1990
First edition: 1990
Printed in: Canada
No. of Pages: 72
Part No.: 00048-90079
Price: included with the HP 48SX
hp 48 pocket book
Title: The HP 48 Pocket Book
Authors: James Donnelly
Published by: Armstrong Publishing Company
Published in: June 1993 (1st edition)
First edition: 1993
Printed in: USA
No. of Pages: 56
ISBN No.: 1-879828-05-7
Price: US$8.00
HP 48g-gx pocket guide
Title: The HP 48G/GX
Pocket Guide
Authors: Chris Coffin and
Thomas Dick
Published by: Thomas Dick and
Grapevine Publications, Inc
Published in: June 1998 (2nd edition)
First edition: 1996
Printed in: USA
No. of Pages: 80
ISBN No.: 0-931011-45-0
Price: Unknown
BB marketing catalog for HP calculators
Title: BB Marketing Catalog
Authors: N/A
Published by: BB Marketing
Published in: 1997 / 1998 (5th edition)
First edition: Unknown
Printed in: Oslo, Norway
No. of Pages: 66
ISBN No.: n/a
Price: n/a
 

david spade quote

Why I Have Two HP 48GX

“I love crunching numbers…

…just because I can do it on the HP 48GX!”

The HP 48GX is arguably the best calculator ever to have come out of the Hewlett-Packard foundry, and while its successors have been released with greater RAM and processor speeds, the HP 48GX remains the best built calculator and feature-rich for its class. If you’ve held an HP 48GX, you’re likely to say they don’t build calculators like they used to anymore.

hp 48gx
My first HP 48GX bought during my university days. A calculator truly ahead of its time.

My first HP 48GX is a 1993 model made in Singapore. I bought this as a university student in the UK in 1997. The HP 48GX cost a whopping GBP249.00 (RM1,000) – a hefty price to pay for a calculator in the 90s, and even today.

However, it was banned from examinations, simply because it was…are you ready for a cheesy phrase?…”too powerful”. At least this was what my university examiners had told me.

Not surprisingly, as the HP 48GX is equipped with a powerful long-range IR port that made transferring of data across desks possible. I had better use for the IR port, and ran a remote control program that allowed the HP 48GX to be used as a universal remote. Switching TV channels at public areas had always been fun. I eventually got a Casio calculator as a replacement for exams, while still using the HP 48GX in class and outside of exams.

HP 48 on eBay


HP 48 on Android smartphone
When I’m out without my HP 48, an emulator called Droid48sx runs as the default calculator on my Android smartphone.

I used this calculator for more than 10 years, from my university days right up into the early years of my engineering career. I eventually switched to the newer HP 50G, which was more or less a modern and faster version of the HP 48GX.

Still, I alternated between the HP 50G and the HP 48GX.

By 2013, my HP 48GX had started to show signs of LCD leakage underneath the screen. It fully leaked, covering the entire screen by end of 2014, making the calculator almost impossible to use even though it is fully functional.

“When I’m out without my HP 48, an emulator called Droid48sx runs as the default calculator on my Android smartphone.”
hp 50g and hp 48gx
The HP 50G (left) and the HP 48GX (right). Despite the HP 50G being much newer, faster and having 4 times the RAM, I still prefer using the older HP 48GX. It is just better built, with the keys at the right places. It is no surprise too, that a used HP 48GX costs more today than a new HP 50G. A “new” old stock HP 48GX could easily be about four times the price of a new HP 50G at time of writing.
 
HP 48gx lcd screen leak
My first HP 48GX with a leaked LCD screen. Beneath that, you could see that the display still works.

I realise that, even with its dated appearance and slow processor by today’s standards, the HP 48GX is still the calculator of my choice.

In my opinion, this is the most important calculator ever to be released by Hewlett-Packard since they began their calculator department, and has somewhat achieved a cult status amongst HP graphing calculator users.

Its old-fashion design is itself a thing of interest, much like vintage cars driven on today’s modern streets. The processor may be slow, but for the less complex calculations that I do, and small matrices if any, this calculator is certainly enough.

For engineering people, both professionals and students, it is definitely a dream device that packs a punch. Many punches.

Get It on eBay

HP prime
Even with its 32MB RAM and glorious colour touchscreen, the HP Prime quickly disappointed, and I found myself eagerly going back to the 48GX. To be fair, the Prime is targeted to a different user group (i.e. not me). A new HP Prime would cost about US$110-150, while a used HP 48GX could cost double of that between US$200-300. A “new” old stock HP 48GX costs about US$500 today.

I bought the new HP Prime in 2015, and found myself disappointed with it upon initial use. It seems it was targeted more towards the student-examination group, rather than for the matured engineer.

Longing to replace my old HP 48GX, I set out to purchase a second-hand HP 48GX, and found an engineer from Portugal who was selling off his 20-year-old HP 48GX at a very reasonable price.

This second HP 48GX is the default calculator that sits on my desk now. Sometimes, very rarely though, I switch over and use the HP 50G, if I need the speed.

For those times when light level at my desk is low, I put the backlight display of the HP Prime to good use.

Every HP calculator, it seems, has its strengths and purpose.

bill nye quote


HP CALCULATORS

HP GRAPHING CALCULATORS AND HP 48GX BOOKS


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