HP 50g Graphing Calculator

This is a review of the HP 50g Graphing Calculator by Hewlett Packard. If you are (or aspire to become) an engineer, mathematician, physicist, or physical chemist, then this is the calculator for you. Actually, this is not really a calculator: it is a hand-held math computer with a calculator-style human-machine interface. The capabilities of this math computer are mind boggling. Right up front, please note: the HP 50g is NOT allowed on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. If you want a calculator for the FE exam, try the HP 35S ( HP 35s Scientific Calculator ). Refer to the NCEES website (search for calculator policy). I have used Hewlett Packard calculators for years. While it is true that the HP 50g build-quality is not as robust as previous models, and while it is true that there have been some disappointing design changes, this calculator still amazes me. It is incredible that it sells for such a low price. By the way, my favorite calculator was my old HP 28S (too bad the case cracked at the battery door). I also have owned (and have extensively used) the HP 48 and the HP 49g+ (not to mention the HP 15 and HP 35). There is nothing wrong with Texas Instrument (TI) calculators. In fact, they are quite great. However, once you get used to the Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) of the HP 50g, you will be able to perform calculations much faster than with a TI. If you are still in high school, then you might want to check with your university before buying a calculator. Some college programs require (or endorse) a specific calculator model, and integrate use of that model in the course(s). The HP 50g is for folks who perform relatively high-level math. To use the capabilities of the HP 50g, you need to complete college calculus, vectors, differential equations, linear algebra, control theory, and statistics (and more). This calculator is ideal for college students who major in math, statistics, physics, chemistry, or engineering. Other users will NEVER use most of the functions of this calculator; in fact, most of the folks I know who own an HP 50g only use its most basic functions (what a waste). Unless you are going to use advance mathematics, then you might be happier with an HP 35S. This calculator has over 2300 built-in functions. While this is quite impressive, jamming so many functions into this calculator makes operating it much more challenging than (perhaps) it needs to be. Some of the handy features of the HP 50g include: the equation writer, the matrix writer, a constants library, an equation library, units conversion, interactive graphs, libraries, and (of course) programming (many folks share their programs free). It takes a very long time to learn how to use this calculator. In days of yore, Hewlett Packard would ship wonderful (spiral-bound) books with each calculator which explained in clear, perfect detail how to use each and every function. Such a manual for HP 50g would probably run 3000 pages and would surely double the price of the calculator. Hewlett Packard does provide three documents for the calculator: (1) a 184 page "User's Manual," and (2) an 887 page "User's Guide," and (3) a 693 page "Advanced User's Reference Manual." A hard-copy of the "User's Manual" might ship with the calculator; the "User's Guide" might be included on a CD included with the calculator. In any case, be sure to visit the Hewlett Packard website and download the latest (perhaps, corrected) copies of these manuals. While there, also download the latest USB driver for your operating system. After you first receive your new HP 50g, set aside an hour per day to learn how to use it. It will probably take you at least 100 hours (maybe 40 hours for the most important operations), even if you are already a math whiz. While HP no longer provides adequate training documents, you can find some good tutorials online. For example, search university websites (*.edu) for HP 50g tutorials (e.g., Thiel college). (Please note, the HP 49g is so similar, tutorials for the HP 49g will help you too.) Look on you tube for HP 50g tutorials (one fellow in particular has posted a series of great videos). Go through a textbook (one you've already completed, or one you are going to use next semester) and get practice entering equations and solving problems. If you have the cash, check out the following books by Gilberto Urroz: Science and Engineering Mathematics with the HP 49 G - Volume 1 (Gu) and Science and Engineering Mathematics with the HP 49 G - Volume II - Calculus, differential equations, statistics . They were not written specifically for the HP 50g, but the HP 49g and the HP 50g are almost identical. I bought both books. They are pretty good, but you should try out Volume I before you buy Volume II (just to make sure it meets your needs). Here are some extra items you should get at the time you buy this calculator: - At least two 1 GB or 2 GB SD cards. - A fresh CR2032 battery. - 8 rechargeable AAA batteries (and charger, if you don't have one). - A mini-B USB cable (if one is not provided with the calculator). Explanations: - An SD card ( Transcend 2 GB SD Flash Memory Card (TS2GSDC) ) can be installed in the bottom of the calculator. You can then backup your calculator to the SD card by copying files and entire directories to the card. Trust me: You MUST backup your calculator. You may eventually have hundreds of hours invested in storing equations and programs in your calculator; you do NOT want to lose all that hard work if your calculator loses power or if it is damaged or stolen. With the calculator backed up, you can easily restore your directories, equations, and programs (to a replacement calculator, if need be). You should have at least TWO SD cards, so you can have one installed, and one in a safe location. An SDHC card will NOT work, it must be an SD card (therefore, limited to 1 GB or 2 GB). Install this card on Day 1, and format it for FAT16 (not FAT32). - The calculator comes with a CR2032 battery; but I recommend installing a fresh (high capacity) battery on Day 1. This battery is used to backup the calculator's memory. - This calculator eats batteries. Do yourself a favor and buy two sets of rechargeable AAA batteries (8 total) Sanyo NEW 1500 eneloop 4 Pack AAA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries . However, please note the following guidance from Hewlett Packard "The use of rechargeable batteries is not recommended because of their lower capacity and short low-battery warning." - A USB mini-B cable should come with the calculator (Connectivity Kit). If you need to buy a cable, then buy it NOW so you can connect your HP 50G to your computer. Go to the HP website, then download and install the latest HP 50g (USB) driver for your operating system. Search the web for a copy of the connectivity software (Conn4X) and install it. Search the web for instructions on how to establish communication between the HP 50g and the connectivity software. This will allow you to backup your HP 50g to your computer. Later, if need be, you can restore your calculator, or you can load the files to a new, different calculator. After you spend hundreds of hours loading equations and programs into your HP 50g, you really (really) want to have a backup. Also, if you have a USB cable, you can ensure power is maintained to the calculator during battery changes by plugging the calculator into a powered USB port. I repeat: Learn how to backup your HP 50g (to SD card, a computer, or both). If your calculator loses power or locks up and needs to be reset, you can restore all of your directories, equations, and programs from backup. Also, if your calculator is stolen, breaks, or fails, having a backup (on computer, or a safely-stored SD card) will allow you to reload your new (replacement) HP 50g just like the old one. Also, backups will allow you to transfer directories and their contents to a friend's HP 50g. Recommendations for Day 1 (i.e., when you first receive your HP 50g): - Change KEYTIME parameter to 1138 (some folks say, set KEYTIME to 500). If you don't do this, then the calculator may not accept repeating numbers if they are entered very quickly. For example, if you enter 111 very quickly, the calculator might only enter 1. Here's how: [ALPHA] [ALPHA] 1138 [RIGHT ARROW] -> KEYTIME [ENTER]. -> represents the character over the 0 key (press right-shift key, then 0). If you want a KEYTIME of 500, then substitute 500 (instead of 1138) in the above entry. - Find the you tube video for HP 50g setup (My Setup for the HP-50g) and watch it. Change your setup as you like (by using the MODE menu and by setting FLAGS). - Figure out how to set up directories (aka, folders). For example, if you are in college, you will probably want a different folder for each department, with sub-folders for each course, with (maybe) sub-sub-folders for each chapter. For goodness sake, do NOT enter all of your equations into the HOME directory. If you are a working engineer, then you might want a separate folder for each work order. - Go to Appendix B of the "User's Guide" and review the keyboard, paying particular attention to the key-functions that are NOT labeled on the calculator (this makes me SO mad!). For example, greek letters are not labeled, nor are the keys for angle (when in polar coordinates) or factorial (!). Likewise, all of the following are not labeled: edit function, SWAP function, switching between exact and approximate, switching between real and complex, entering equation editor for an equation on the stack. Also, I am very annoyed that the equation library and the constants library are not directly available from the keyboard (you must use the APPS key or the CAT key). - Discover functions available via the APPS key (column 1, row 2). Some of these functions are also available directly accessible via the keyboard (e.g., equation writer, matrix writer, math menu), but some are not (e.g., equation library and constants library). - Learn how to PURGE variables. In the past, Hewlett Packard calculators had a dedicated PURGE key; but now the PURGE function is (stupidly) hidden as a sub-menu item. If you do not know how to PURGE variables, then your directories will become hopelessly cluttered with old, discarded variables. Hewlett Packard also makes emulators for all of their calculators that can simulate the calculator on a computer. You tube has tutorial videos for the HP 50g that illustrate use of such an emulator. I also use several computer-based programs that you might want to check out: Mathematica, Stella, and SAS. I have written this review with the college student in mind; but (obviously) this calculator is also ideal for professional engineers and scientists. Update (12/11/12): Also check out The HP 50g Calculator Tutor (Hewlett Packard) .

The HP-50g Graphing Calculator is a great product once user understands RPN. To facilitate this education, please purchase the HP-50g Tutor Book and DVD (extremely helpful) available from Amazon. This calculator has the 100% correct feeling at the keyboard buttons. The HP-50g has just the right tactile feel and resistance and keyboard buttons does not contribute to finger numbness over time. The HP-50g has more science and engineering functions and more graphing features than many TI and Casio graphing calculators that are also higher in cost. The HP-50g graphing calculator is one of very few calculators capable of accurately sketching three-dimensional graphs. This is a perfect calculator for Reverse Polish Notation and Reverse Polish LISP programming of the very large, long, and tedious mathematical equations. The RPN format helps the user to get that answer faster and that answer can be given in more than one way without re-entering the equation! The Texas Instruments TI-89 Titanium and their TI Nspire CX CAS graphing calculators cause the user to "navigate" menus to seek out that single elusive function. At times, the TI user is loss between the keyboard buttons as the layout is not that intuitive. With the HP-50g the key buttons legend are printed with poor contrasting color background, but at least the user will easily find and access the features in a more intuitive way because of HP's layout and consistent key button scheme from generation to generation habits. User programming on TI calculators remind one of the days of the TI-55 II where the user must make entries with Algebraic entry system (more like BASIC computer programming language). User programming the old TI-55 II step by forgetful step (ah gee where am I), was it at step 09-22 or was it 22-90. The HP-50g is more user friendly for me even though this is just my second RPN calculator. User accessibility is crucial for technical fields. HP-50g makes it practical and visually easy in a gray scale display that does not distract the user with all the menus and colors. From the technical side, the HP-50g is a superior calculator with a ARM Holdings(UK) HP licensed ARM-9 203 MegaHertz de-clocked to run at 75 MegaHertz for compatibility to running legacy HP-48/49/50 software. The user can run older programs from the previous generation HP calculators. The HP-50g has a system BIOS that is user upgradeable. This is the Pilot's choice for quick complex digital mathematics. This is also the automotive designer's electro mechanical engine analyst. HP-50g's user programming support has no peer, and behaves better than most calculators. Been deploying and implementing calculators since A.D.1974 and the HP-50g has more user access to the firmware and hardware of the product than any other computation instrument in the handheld calculator market. For the practical user that wants to just run the HP-50g in everyday engineering, scientific, and advanced math equations at work, this calculator is more than sufficient for any task. Friends ask about it, family members want to trade their calculators for this HP-50g product, and professional folks want even more from this product. The other brands of new graphing calculators also have a long learning curve. Today there are computers and mobile devices that also perform a few of the 2,300 functions of a HP-50g calculator, not do it well. This is one dedicated, compatible, reliable, accessible, and affordable Engineer-Scientist-Mathematician-Three Dimensional Graphing calculator. This is a quantum leap away from even the fabled and legendary calculators of the previous generations. There is no other calculator that comes a "distance second place". The HP-50g Engineering, Scientific, Advanced Mathematics, Three Dimensional Graphing calculator works well like a vintage reliable Breitling Pilot Chronometer, like an accurate Fluke Multimeter, like a precision Tectronix eight channel oscilloscope with digital capture, like a forward looking Celestron Schdmit-Cassegrain 14inch folded lens telescope, and it becomes the best part of a professional toolkit like the Leatherman Wingman titanium and cubic pilot's pocket knife. The HP-50g calculator is the dedicated all purpose fast calculating device for the poly-disciplined technical professional. The HP-50g calculator is easy enough to learn that family members have permanently burrowed this new purchase. Will now need to order another HP-50g calculator. This product is superior to family's HP-19b II+, HP-48SX, TI Voyager 200, TI-98, TI-92, TI BA-II Pro, TI-89 Titanium, TI Nspire CX-CAS, HP Prime, Casio Prism, Casio FX-9860 II+, HP-12C, and certainly easier to learn then Mathematica, Maple, and MathCAD. Absolutely taken the HP-50g calculator along for the projects and to the job sites.

I have been using the HP50G for about a week, now. I decided to retire my HP48GX because the HP48GX is now a collector's item. The HP50G is, overall, an excellent calculator. The keyboard has a good tactile feel with a nice subaudible click. This calculator is vastly superior to the over-rated TI-89 Titanium. The HP50G will do everything the TI-89 Ti can do and then some. The HP50G has built-in functions for vector calculus, vector manipulation (dot product and cross product) and the matrix tools are very good. The contrast of the screen is good. You can set the calculator to put the equations in "Textbook" form (TI's "Pretty Print). But unlike the TI-89, the text is larger and easier to read. The contrast of the keyboard is much better than the nightmare of the TI-89 TI keyboard. The secondary and tertiary functions are orange and white against a black background; very visible. Many of the old programs needed to increase the usefulness of the HP48G/HP48GX series are now built-in. It is necessary to use the calculator in the "Reverse Polish Notation" (RPN) mode in order to get the most functionality. Intermediate results during calculations are put on the stack and you don't have to hit a stupid Answer button to manipulate intermediate results. There are a few negative features, though. 1) Many people have already mentioned the problem of the default keytime setting being set incorrectly for fast input of duplicate digits. The fix is very simple: type 300 then press the [CAT]button, access the [--> KEYTIME] command, press [ENTER] and the problem is fixed. After several years of complaint, you would have thought HP would have changed the default setting. 2) The keyboard functions are semi-redundant. If you press the [SYMB] key you get some of the functions available from the [CALC], [ALG], [ARITH] and [TRIG] keys but not all. I get the impression that the key's were assigned to a couple committees and they didn't talk to each other. The assignment of functions to keys certainly should have been more efficient. That would have freed keys to allow for the inclusion of the double-size [ENTER] key that should be there but isn't. I think that part of the problem is that the HP50G tries to be both an Algebraic and RPN calculator at the same time. 3) The calculator is a power-hog. After a week of hard use, my batteries are at about 56% power. There is an available program from hpcalc.org called BATSTAT that will allow you to monitor battery status. However, the HP50G will run on power from the USB cable. 4) Unlike my old HP48GX, a "warm start" is necessary to add libraries to the memory. The manual does not make that clear. Just press [ON] and [F3] at the same time and you're all set. Despite my nitpicking, this is a great product. At the prices it is being sold for ($100) this is a steal of a deal. Do yourself a favor, buy this calculator, learn RPN (its not hard) and you'll never be sorry. This is a necessary tool if you are an engineering student. If you are using a TI, you can make like much easier for yourself. Now that Carly has been given the boot, maybe HP will get back on track with its calculators.

Being a math, engineering & computer geek back in high school, me & my like-minded buddies all purchased the brand new HP 41C. Wow, what an incredible calculator that was for its time. It lasted me nearly 30 years (still going actually). I recently purchased a 50g & am blown away by its capabilities. Along with the amazing graphing, equation writing/solving & memory capabilities come definite, albeit unavoidable, complexities in the form of button-pushing. Others have complained about the fact that one button can take on up to 6 different functions, depending on which shift or alpha key combination you press first. This is not complicated nor hard to learn. I'm basically learning by practicing & all is well. This calculator has more capability than I will probably ever use. It has the ability to operate in either RPN or Algebraic entry mode. I've used RPN forever, so that's my default mode. It turns out that the Equation Writer does operate in Algebraic mode - no big deal. I would not recommend this calculator to someone who's not on a math/science/engineering track. It has features you'll never use. These technical disciplines attract individuals with a mind-set that's well-matched to learning & understanding the 50g in a time-efficient manner. If you just need a calculator to get you through a required algebra or calculus class - & that's it - there may be other calculators out there with a reduced feature set that would suffice for you. Along w/ the HP 50g's unparalleled features comes what I would consider a reasonable learning curve (for me). I do this stuff all the time, so it's worth putting some time in to learn it. Some of the more negative reviews of this calculator make mention of the significant learning curve. This may be true if you're not adept at learning/understanding math notation, &/or don't have a need for the 50g's capabilities on an ongoing basis. This can probably be said if any higher end graphics/engineering calculator. If you don't use it with some regularity, you may need to relearn certain procedures later on. In summary, if you're a technical individual who understands math & science, & you're wanting a calculator that can do just about anything you'd ever ask ... this is the calculator for you. If all you need to do is keep track of your budget, & calorie-counting - the 50g is definitely overkill!

This is an outstanding calculator. I've been using it for many years, and recently bought another one because I was careless with the last one. First, the cons. 1. The screen isn't very high resolution. This isn't a terrible problem, but could help a lot with graphs and large equations. 2. It's not immediately user friendly. That is, it has a bit of a learning curve compared to, say, TI calculators. That's it. And now the pros. 1. The CAS is great (and open source!). It does algebra and calculus well. 2. It has lots of functions built in. Even excluding the 'function library', there are tons of very useful functions. There are several indefinite integration routines, Laplace/Fourier transforms, and all that. It's nice. 3. Pretty customizable. There are lots of "flags" you can set to alter the behavior of the calculator. One example is setting the calculator in "rigorous" mode. This will cause things like sqrt(x^2) to simplify to |x|, not simply x. 4. Supports RPN all the way. To prospective buyers, LEARN RPN when you get this calculator. Do not switch it to algebraic mode. There's nothing wrong with algebraic mode, but RPN is a hell of a lot more efficient and comfortable. It takes 10 minutes to learn. All symbolic and numeric functions use RPN. 5. Has tactile/clicky keys. More important than you think. When you press a key, you get a nice click. 6. Comes with a leatherette pouch. Classy and protective. 7. Has an SD card slot. Sounds kind of useless, but can be very useful for transferring programs or loading data. 8. Uses standard batteries. AAA I think. Lasts quite a while too. 9. SOFTWARE overclockable (softclocking) to up to over 200 MHz. Sounds useless, but since you can dynamically set the speed, you can speed up the calculator if you need to do a 3D or contour plot. 10. Great documentation. The user manual that comes with it -- some few hundred pages -- is NOT the full one. The full manual is available on HP's website, and has -- I think -- about 700-1000 pages. As you can see, this is a wonderful calculator. I hope HP continues their quality calculators for a long time.

I've had my HP-50G since 2/24/2007 after purchasing it from Amazon. I also own a TI-89 Titanium. The TI-89 Titanium is in my humble opinion an easier machine to use, but less powerful than the HP-50G. More functionality and power tends to mean a steeper learning curve, so if you want the most powerful, choose the HP-50G, if you want one that is initially easier to use, choose the TI-89 Titanium. Either way, you can't go wrong as they are both fine machines. Having said that, here is why I prefer the HP-50G: 1. First off, it offers both Algebraic and RPN modes natively. 2. The CAS is powerful and can be set up for step-by-step simplification (collection or expansion of terms). 3. RPL is a *LOT* more powerful and (again, in my humble opinion) simpler -- you can do a lot more with far fewer keystrokes than with TI's BASIC. 4. The SD Card slot is perfect for transferring programs and HP Objects between the calculator and the PC. 5. It has a built-in Equation Library, SysRPL, as well as an ARM Assembler/Disassembler and Saturn processor emulator. (Translation: it is a Geek's "Dream Machine". :) There are many other reasons that I prefer the HP over the TI, but those are the highlights. There are some neat "Easter Eggs" hidden in the HP as well, including a great Tetris game. (Run the Equation Writer application, click ALPHA-ALPHA to lock it, enter MINEISBETTER, click ALPHA to turn off the alpha lock, then click the up arrow and press SIMP (F6). All of the flags must be in their factory-release setting too.) Viola - Tetris! Finally, although it is *initially* a more difficult machine to learn to use than the TI, it can be customized with incredible ease, and features all sorts of "event handling" stubs to use for this purpose. What this translates to is the machine allows you to *MAKE IT* easier to use for yourself with custom menus, user programmable keys, etc. It's more rugged and the keyboard is better than the HP-49s too. You can't go wrong with the HP-50G.

I am having trouble deciding what rating to give this beast. As a calculator, it is magnificent. I started with the HP-35 40+ years ago, and find for engineering problems RPN is really the best system to use. I remember getting 4 correct optical calculations done while my lab partner was getting one incorrect answer on his TI. I found the learning curve for RPN to be completely painless, and even with the old 4-entry stack you could start the problem most anywhere and still get to the end. This beast has an indefinite stack, making concerns of using up the stack a thing of the past. If you like algebraic entry, then that is also available, and for entering formulas from textbooks it is easy to shift between the two. The textbook display feature makes things look just like they were typeset with with the math symbol font. The CAS system on this calculator is awesome. My son starting a second year of algebra wants to know why he needs to work all of the factoring and polynomial problems, since the calculator does all of that without stupid arithmetic errors. Sometimes you will get a strange looking result, as the system pulls up an obscure identity for exponentials, but it has always been correct. Many other features, plus a reasonable implementation of a programming language means that there is little that cannot be done efficiently on this machine. So why only four stars? The display can be hard to read, as the angle sitting on the desk requires you to get above it to see it very well. No back light option makes the display invisible in low light. I miss the 35's angled led display, but I don't miss the limited battery life from the led displays. The fonts for symbols are often difficult to recognize, especially the infinity symbol. And then we get to the "feature" that almost caused me to give this a 3-star rating. That would be the documentation. For a powerful machine with so much to learn, comprehensive and _accurate_ documentation is needed. Unfortunately, this calculator has neither from HP, and actually not much help from third parties that I've been able to find. The short <200 page user manual is a place to start, but there are numerous errors that had me puzzled in places until I worked out the operation for myself. The user guide is long, but lacking in accuracy and completeness. The advanced user reference seems more complete when it comes to the the library functions, but the individual function documentation is very sparse in most cases. The tutorials help sometimes, if you can find what you are looking for. And then it appears the documentation has generally be written by someone not terribly familiar with RPN. Or the English language for that matter. So I compromised - 5-stars for the function, 4-stars for the display and 3-stars at best for the docs. Because of the poor documentation, this beast will take a good bit of time to learn unless you are already familiar with the CAS/Equation writer from an earlier model.

I have owned top of the line graphing and scientific calculators from TI, HP, Casio, Sharp, etc. Back when I was a student, TI's were very cheaply made and often broke quite easily and similar HP products lasted almost forever. This machine, the HP50g, continues that HP tradition and is definitely put together very well. It is also a very good improvement over its predecessor, the HP49g+ with more memory and with a much improved keyboard and improved keyboard "feel" and a much better feature set overall, including the full library of solutions from Physics and Engineering that was available from the HP48 series of machines, etc. The pros and cons as I see it are: PROS: 1) The Hp50g has all the standard and CAS (Computer Algebra System) features that we have come to expect on such a machine, plus many nice very detailed and very mathematically advanced topic as well as course specific APPS that are already preloaded or can be added in electronically and quite simply from the HP or HPcalc or other websites. These include the ability to even perform a digital FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) as well as many many other advanced functions of a similar nature. The USB interface works with a computer and is also quite fast and easy to set up. 2) It works quite naturally with complex number solutions of equations. It can be switched in the Mode setup from a Real to a Complex number operating stance and even back again as desired or it will even prompt you to make a mode change if you are in Real mode and the answer is in fact a Complex number. If it can't perform an operation which is fairly rare it will simply repeat the proposed operation back again below the original one on the display screen as the answer. This machine is so versatile however that it will even evaluate symbolic matrices or even matrices with imaginary numbers (an Electrical engineering nightmare otherwise!). 3) This machine itself is quite fast with a nice graphical interface and resultant plotting system. The resultant plots are high quality and with the many added features available for enhancement are very intuitive for the learning process. 4) It has a nice and quite modern, curved body design that sits very nicely both on a desk or a table as well as in your hand. 5) It has a very large amount of onboard main memory, plus additional Flash memory for tackling quite memory intensive problems. 6) Although it is called a calculator, it is really a small and very fast (75 MHz) handheld computer system which can tackle problems from the most simple to almost the most complex. 7) The famous RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) and an Algebraic Operating System (AOS) as well as a so-called textbook mode are all available to be chosen depending on the wishes of the user and on the problem to be tackled. 8) The complete set of the predicted units of the solution of a complicated equation (or set of equations) can be determined independently of and simultaneously with its numerical answer(s). This is a very fine feature that I do not know of on any other calculator system. 9) As on all such HP RPN models, a very fine self-test system is available to make sure your machine is fully functional all the time and a clock (now without seconds) complete with the date, is also continuously available. 10) Finally, this machine also has a fine, onboard Help system for some, but not all of the CAS commands, if these commands are at all confusing (and there are many many commands available on this machine). It is a good HP system with multiple references (up to 3) between different , but similar commands (for example with the soft-key designations: SEE1, SEE2, SEE3, etc.), but the Help system on the newer Casio FX-9860 Slim calculator is even better in my opinion, i.e., it includes ALL the commands in the calculator (but with no CAS present on the Casio unit) with complete operational syntax details for every command. The latter Help system is even advertised as being sufficiently detailed so that the manual doesn't need to be carried around to efficiently work with this Slim Casio. CONS: 1) Some functions that you would readily expect to be available with a single key press require instead at least two key presses, but usually with only a single shift key press first. 2) The learning curve is quite steep, although very well worth the considerable effort, but this will heavily deter some good students from learning the RPN skills that can be effectively used for your entire lifetime once they are successfully mastered. 3) The HP50g requires multiple batteries plus a backup coin cell battery in order to save everything briefly when changing the main batteries. 4) It really needs a large ENTER key (and also it should be located in the center-left location) just like on the HP machines of the distant past (and as recently included on the HP35s for example). 5) HP should also add a backlight system for viewing the screen in the dark as implemented very nicely in the new clam-shell design on the Casio FX-9860g Slim version.