HP12C

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AfricaFarmer

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Been playing with mine more and more, I love this thing. Don’t know why it gets so much stick on here for being inferior to the BA2. It doesn’t take that long to get the hang of RPN, I spent about 15mins doing basic calculus with it to get used to the input and then half and hour doing financial calculations. It’s a beast.
 
HP is based on RPN . Once you have used to it . It is a truly wonderful experience . Initially It takes time to learn . You can say BAII plus is student’s choice and HP is industry choice.Most professionals after coming to industry or when they are working start using HP12C .
 
Guys,
I might be the dumbest here so sorry in advance.
What the heck is RPN mode? I have been using the HP since the beginnig but I don’t know what I should have been got used to with the calculator? Am I using it in the wrong way?
Please enlighten me…
 
RPN abbreviates Reverse Polish Notation. For example, to add one and two, instead of entering “1”, “+”, “2”, “=” (which is known as algebraic notation), you enter “1”, “Enter”, “2”, “+”; you’ve reversed the order of the “+” and the “2”.
(Note, Reverse Polish Notation isn’t intended to be insulting (suggesting that it’s stupid, as in the spate of Polish jokes); a Polish logician, Jan Łukasiewicz, invented a prefix notation (“+”, “1”, “2”), and this is the reverse of that.)
 
Thanks S2000.
I googled it and found the same explanation.
But than I’m not using my HP correctly. Because I input “1 + 2 ENTER” and I get 3.
Am I totally utterly screwing up something and I’m realizing this 2 months before the exam????
 
Now I see that I can set the calculator to ‘RPN’ and to ‘ALG’. Mine was set (or I set it I don’t remember) to ALG, so I used it in the algebraic way, only I did not know it was algebraic.
But now I don’t understand why the RPN is neccessary?
So far I have not encountered problems where I could not reach the correct answer the way I use the calculator.
But maybe I’m even more stupid than I think I am?!?!?
 
I don’t see how you can input “1 + 2 ENTER” and get 3; I get 2. As I should.
Please check it to see.
 
Hey don’t worry about it, you must have the platinum 12C. The platinum one lets you switch between RPN and ALG input because too many wimps complained about having to learn a different input method. RPN is slightly faster once you get the hang of it but no biggie, you’ve gotten used to ALG now so no point changing so close to the exam.
 
No. On my calculatotr which is HP12C (not 25th or 30th edition just a simple one) there is a possibility to set the calculator to RPN and to ALG modes.
Chosing between the notations in orange above the keys (sorry I can’t explain better).
RPN is abve key CHS and ALG is above key EEX.
 
OK my calc is HP 12c Platinum. I understant that Platinum can be set to ALG mode, while the original HP 12c runs only in RPN. Or at least this is what I found on the internet.
CFA Policy allows using the 12c Platinum based on the Test rules.
But I bought my calculator because this version was available w/o knowing the whole RPN issue.
For me it’s too late to change for the June exam, so I’ll go with it, but most probably to answer my own question, yes I’m even more stupid that I have not realized this issue before.
I have no idea otherwise what RPN has as an advantage or what ALG has as a disadvantage, but surely there must be something otherwise the difference would not exist.
 
Moosey wrote:
No. On my calculatotr which is HP12C (not 25th or 30th edition just a simple one) there is a possibility to set the calculator to RPN and to ALG modes.
Chosing between the notations in orange above the keys (sorry I can’t explain better).
RPN is abve key CHS and ALG is above key EEX.
Click to expand...
You definitely have the plat. edition, it’s the only one with that function. I have my gold one at my side right this moment, there is nothing above EEX and CHS.
 
Yes, as I explained in my last post I have the platinum and I was not aware about the differences, since when I bought the platinum there was no other model available so it was not a conscious decision.
Do you have an idea if there are material differences (in terms of the results of calculations) between using the two notations? I.e. should I be worried because of my unawareness or can I go forward with the ALG?
 
Moosey wrote:
Yes, as I explained in my last post I have the platinum and I was not aware about the differences, since when I bought the platinum there was no other model available so it was not a conscious decision.
Do you have an idea if there are material differences (in terms of the results of calculations) between using the two notations? I.e. should I be worried because of my unawareness or can I go forward with the ALG?
Click to expand...
Nah it’s fine don’t worry about it. do you have a model with parentheses? I ask because I know some plats don’t have them and I don’t know how anybody can use ALG mode without parentheses.
It won’t affect your results, as long as you enter things in the correct order. The difference between the two is input method. Some would argue that by using ALG, you might as well have bought the Texas Instruments calc. instead.
 
The only hazard to RPN is once you are used to it there is NO going back just like the dark side, forever will it control your fate.
I went to a PD training session after getting used to it during the CFA and they only had “normal” calculators, I couldn’t revert from trying to use RPN and ultimately threw it at one of the engineers to figure out.
Would never give up my 12C now that I know it.
 
AfricaFarmer wrote:
Moosey wrote:
Yes, as I explained in my last post I have the platinum and I was not aware about the differences, since when I bought the platinum there was no other model available so it was not a conscious decision.
Do you have an idea if there are material differences (in terms of the results of calculations) between using the two notations? I.e. should I be worried because of my unawareness or can I go forward with the ALG?
Click to expand...
Nah it’s fine don’t worry about it. do you have a model with parentheses? I ask because I know some plats don’t have them and I don’t know how anybody can use ALG mode without parentheses.
It won’t affect your results, as long as you enter things in the correct order. The difference between the two is input method. Some would argue that by using ALG, you might as well have bought the Texas Instruments calc. instead.
Click to expand...
Yes I have parentheses.
Thanks for the answer, so I won’t change anything for now but maybe reconsider learning the RPN for the future.
To be honest when I chose the HP versus the BA I was advised by someone who (apparently) had used his HP in ALG mode and never knew about the whole RPN thing.
 
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