λ - programming

What is a "calculator for programmers"? I use my TI-36X Pro for everything.

>>11340
>What is a "calculator for programmers"?
A calculator that's especially suited for programmers:

http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp16.htm

> Numbers and Bases

>The HP-16C could display numbers in Hexadecimal, Decimal, Octal and Binary formats using a standard 7 segment display. The hex digits displayed as AbCdE with the "b" and "d" in lower case so they could be distinguished from "8" and "0". Because some bases (especially binary) could result in very long numbers, a windowable display was provided along with an indication of more digits to the right and/or left. The display could be shifted a digit or a window at a time.

>Configurable emulation

>Rather than being content to just do basic binary math, HP designed the calculator to be configurable to match the computer the user was currently working with. The word size could be set to anywhere from 1 to 64 bits. And the calculator could be set to perform unsigned, 1's or 2's complement math. Once set, the HP-16C would do math like the user's computer, including setting the overflow and carry flags.

>The HP-16C also provided floating point math. Two conversion algorithms were supplied to convert between the HP-16C floating point format and the (then proposed) IEEE format.

Seems pretty useful.

>>11340
honestly I don't know why TI is still making new models, they already perfected the calculator with the TI-84

>>11339
I very much enjoy my HP-48SX.

http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp48s.htm

The Saturn architecture is very interesting:
http://www.hpmuseum.org/saturn.htm

I don't know... a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop can do all of this and more.

If I'd need these to help me while programming, it means I'm at a computer already. I can just fire up a python or racket prompt and do my calculations.

These were made for a time when computing was expensive and you needed to launch batch jobs to make a computer do calculations, so it made sense having a reduced computer on your desk or in your pocket. Nowadays? Not so much IMHO. But kudos for the nostalgia value.

Wouldn't a programmer simply write a calculator program suited to their purposes?

i use ipython

>>11351
Cool!

>>11353
>>11379
Good points, little grasshoppers! But what if you need some independent way to verify that your computer is right? Never forget the Pentium FDIV bug.

And a smart phone has to be booted. And has plenty of distractions. But not a calculator. B-)

If you want a calculator for programmers Sharp is a better brand. I recently bought one of these. They are programmable in BASIC and have 4K ram.

>>11392
Cool!

>>11392
Bliss... Total bliss...

http://pocket.free.fr/html/sharp/extra/pc-1360_system_e.html

>>11392
>Unicode on a calculator.
Those poor engineers.

>>11428
Why is that bad?

And consider this, dear thread. The HP-12C financial calculator was released in 1981. It is still the business standard. In 2003 the platinum edition was released. They also released HP-17Bii+.

I'd love to have a HP-12C original edition. I will probably get the HP-16C too. Because I really love calculators. Portable, reliable, long battery life, quick and demanding. The opposite of a "smart" phone. The perfect tool for making mathematical inquiries. The perfect tool for the programmer.

>>11392
Damn that looks pretty cool, but seems kinda tedious to do anything beyond the most basic functions.
>>11583
My dads got that one, somethin went wrong with it last year so he had to get the platinum edition, he said it felt a lot cheaper.

I got this one when i started college.i like it, some buttons are kinda annoying though. Its slow when inputing numbers so it wont recognize the first digit of a number sometimes. Ive barely scratched the surface on what it can do though.

>>11611
Sweet machine you got! I've got the 20s. Learned yesterday that it's programmable. Lainon to the challenge!

The 12C "1981" are still sold. So you may buy one for your dad as a christmas gift. (However, it may make the platinum be sad.)