Yes, we are relics of a bygone era. I really enjoyed my HP48 as a child.
I don't think anything since had the same ability to rapidly script operations.
<< 1/ SWAP 1/ + 1/ >> 'PAR STO
.... and 11 keystokes later, I had an operation for computing parallel resistors with one keystoke.
The HP48 series was the peak of good design. Unfortunately, in 2022, it feels obsolete. Each new calculator took away as much as it gave. Added were faster processors and more functionality, but the level of design, polish, and attention to detail just wasn't there any more.
In 1990, when these came out, engineers used calculators a lot. In 2022, most engineering work is done with a computer, so perhaps there wasn't market share to sustain HP. Even for my computer, I still wouldn't mind a modern "numeric keypad" that had the whole HP48's worth of operations: one-touch access to most math operations would be nice. Ideally, it'd have Bluetooth and be Python-friendly too.
My ultimate device:
- HP48-style microswitch keyboard
- RPN entry
- Modern CAS and plotting
- Able to use both Python (or Julia or similar) and RPN locally, with integration between the two
- Touchscreen for plots. High-resolution high-fidelity display.
- Bluetooth + USB + 802.11 (and, perhaps, a few GPIO pins). Can take an external keyboard, monitor, mouse, stream in data, stream out data, or talk to a computer. It should be able to output results or keystroke as a USB HID.
As far as Graphing RPN Calculators go, yes. There's SwissMicros[0], who do a more modern HP-41CX and HP-42, but nothing to replace the HP-48/49/50 series.
Is an HP 50G really the last of its kind? Hard to suggest since it’s priced like a collectors item now…