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Q: A few years ago I bought a 49g+. I like the calculator but the

keyboard sucks (have to press them pretty hard, doesn't always result

in input so constantly have to check display when entering numbers,

etc) It's so bad that I hardly use it. The keyboard on my 48g is much

nicer. How is the keyboard on the 50g? If it's nice I'd like to get

one to replace my 49, but I don't want to spend $150 just to find out

it has a crappy keyboard.

Basically, early 49G+ examples had keyboards which felt OK when new but deteriorated quickly. HP (or rather Kinpo, the manufacturer making the 49G+) revised the keyboard design several times, finally arriving at a design that feels pretty good and seems (so far) to last some time, although no one expects HP-35 durability levels.  By the time they'd made that final keyboard design the reputation of the 49G+ had been tarnished, and there were some other issues to address, so they introduced the 50G with the final, best 49G+ keyboard design, and some other small changes.  I've heard no complaints of quickly deteriorating 50G keyboards, but of course it hasn't been even a year since the model was introduced.

 

Anyway, you're relatively safe: it's not crappy.

You can be reassured - the keyboard was just one of the (few)
improvements the 50G got over the 49 series.
Not yet like the "touch-'n-feel champ" 48GX (that I still have and
use) but a big step forward (if not for the whole mankind, at least
for the quality of HP keyboards

If you do end up with a bad keyboard (very very unlikely) you have fair reason for a warranty claim. HP are very good with warranties in this case. I wrote them an email and they replaced a 49g+ (one of the first in Australia) with a new 50g, not before I bought a new 50g, so I have two of them now, and very happy with both.

Mick C

 

 

Q: I need to easily work with power notation, does anyone know how I can calculate and solve power notation on my 50g while still giving results in this form?? power notation is 5^3 x 4^5 also is there a way to enter fractions with whole numbers at the start, for example -4/3/4 (which would be written negative 4 and three quarters) and is there a way of converting fractions from 38/9 to the full numbers?

You can use the power button on the 50g, but I don't think there is a way to hold the results as that power. To convert the fractions to real numbers just use the ->num button.

 

Q: Sorry I cant get my question across properly, I'm trying to enter whole numbers and than fractions, as in 3 and 3/10 or written as 33/10, or also how to simplify fractions that are written as 45/10 to the simpliest form without converting to decimals, I want to keep them in the fraction form, my old sharp calculator has a button with Ab/c written on it to do such a thing,

 

A:  You'll want to use the calculator in Exact Mode for fraction calculation.  The fastest way to check that you are in Exact Mode is on the top of the screen next to the R (or C), there is an equals sign.  If there is a ~ sign, that means you are in Approximate Mode.  To switch to Exact Mode, simply hold the Right Shift key while pressing the ENTER key. 

 

I am going to assume that you are working in RPN Mode.  Fractions on the HP 50g are formed in the 'a + b/c' form.  Here are two ways to enter 3 3/10.

 

First Way:  3 ENTER 3 ENTER 10 ÷ +    (whole number, ENTER, numerator, ENTER, denominator, ÷, +)  [uses the stack]

Second Way:  '  3 + 3 ÷ 10 ENTER    (' key, whole number, +, numerator, ÷, denominator, ENTER)  [enters the number as algebriac object]

 

Fractions in the form of numerator/denominator are simplified when entered.  For example, if you enter 45/10, the HP 50g returns 9/2. 

 

You can convert decimal numbers to fractions by either typing in XQ and pressing ENTER, or pressing Left Shift, 6 [CONVERT], REWRITE, ->Q.

 

 

 

Q: I want a hard copy of the user manual, what is the best way to get one?

A: Unfourtuantly there is no printed manual available, the best bet is to get one printed via a print shop. Costs vary, ask around in your area and add up how much it costs.

 

 

 

Q: I was wondering if text files can be transferred to the calculator. If so, how do I go about this and how do I access them on the calculator?  Also, can any other types of files be viewed on the calculator (.pdf, etc)?

A:You can transfer a "plain text" file to the 50g, plain text is just ascii charaters. You simply use the windows connectivity kit (file transfer program) to download the file to the calculator. This is most helpful when developing programs, as you can quickly type up the program and then transfer the program to the calc to run it. Adobe documents cannot be run from the calc for two reasons, the first one and the main one is that the calc has limited memory, well a lot for a calculator (4meg), but nowhere near as much as a computer (mine has 120gig and thats not a lot these days). Remember that four meg is for both storing programs and running them, so you sacrifice a lot of good rpl programs for a few large documents. The other reason is that there is no program to run adobe file on the calc.

You have to remember that the calc only has a small screen, you need at least a 14' monitor to use adobe documents easily.

 

 

Q:on my 50G is there a way than when Pi is in an equation that I am solving, than when I hit enter the pi does stay there,  I hate this, if I say 12 * 2* pi, I just get 12 * pi,  I want this to stop and for it to just treat pi as 3.14

A:There are two ways you can do this, the quickest is to simply hit ->NUM (above the enter key) the second is: There's a mode called Exact in which answers appear symbolically, and a mode called Approximate in which answers are converted to numeric results.  To toggle between these modes, press Mode, pick the CAS menu item, and toggle the "Approx" field; or, as a shortcut, just be at the normal stack display, and HOLD the right-shift key while pressing Enter.  (A little icon in the upper part of the display will switch between '=' and '~'.)

 

 

Q: How do I install libaries

I ran across the post that included a link to a periodic table library....

DL'd it....

Do I just copy to my flash memory, or what....(50G)

I've never done this......

A:Either recall the library to the stack, 2 STO, or easier - use the
filer to move it into port 2.

Either way, reboot with an ON-C and then you can access it from the
LIBS menu, or in the equation libraries case, the APPS key.

Q: How Do I Install Programs (games, fonts, etc.)

I just bought an HP50g and am having difficulties with transferring programs

onto the calculator. I have installed the connectivity software included with

the calculator and the USB driver and have successfully connected the calculator

to the computer. When I press right shift and right arrow, it says, on the

calculator "xmodem server  Waiting for command" and can only exit out of this

function, not type anything else while xmodem is running (and I don't know what

xmodem is). How do do I transfer, and where in the conn4x software do I copy,

the game or font files to?

Thank You,

Californian

Well once you get the program working, I am not sure if it is getting stuck from

your description... You simply drag and drop the files into the program box.

Try it and see what happens..

The other alternative is to use the sd card (with a card writer) and load it up

with your programs, then simply use the filer on the calc to load/run programs.