I finally retired my aging, worn-out HP-41CV calculator for a newer, flashier, more powerful HP-48GX. I needed a calc to use for an upcoming engineering certification test, so I figured it was a good investment.

I was initially impressed with the -48. It had a lot of canned functions and operations that helped eliminate the need to buy extra function packs (a good thing since the 48GX isn't expandable), and I was used to the RPN notation and overall operation of HP calcs.

After a while the new wore off though, and I began to see the 48 as just another good, powerful scientific. I was attempting to wade through the included owners manual to see if I could program a few simple applications for use in my field. I'm sure it can be done, but not if you go by only the included owner's manual.

I sprung an extra $25 for the Programmer's guide (a book about twice as thick as the owner's manual) and tried to learn the programming I needed from that. However, only those well-versed in programming languages would find it easy to comprehend. You see, I'm a mechanical engineer -- if it doesn't grind gears, generate heat, or squirt some sort of fluid, then I probably won't get it.

After a few weeks of occasional "as time permits" reading of the programming manual and lots of trial-and-error with the 48, I began to get it to do some more complicated tasks. Nothing like solve my Rubik's Cube or decipher human DNA, but fairly mundane tasks like take a few variables from a menu input, apply a formula to them, and return another number. The formula and math application parts of this program were pretty easy to program. Getting the HP to present a menu for inputing the values and variables was the hard part.

In general, I am satisfied with the HP-48. It handles most routine scientific calculations easily and quickly. It does some slick things like graphing and canned, common formula manipulations. It is NOT, however, as easy to program as it would appear. It truly is more of a computer in that respect than a calculator.

If you're already a computer hacker or geek-at-large, you will probably have no trouble with programming the -48 to do more interesting things. If you aren't versed in the basics of programming a computer, you might struggle as I did.

Recommended: No

Purchase Price: $129