Calculators you've had

[kphoger]

So if my wife gives me $40 to get something at the store, and the total comes to $31.16, then you can bet I'm grabbing those two singles out of my own wallet-stash–in order to end up with a single bill in my wallet after the transaction (a $10 bill that the cashier will hand me as change),

Good luck with that–most places don't stock $10s in their starting till anymore, so you're going to get two $5s, unless someone else paid with a $10 already. Which is unlikely, since most banks only hand out $20s, unless you twist their arm to get $10s.

I usually get a ten back in those situations.  But, even if I don't, three is still less than six.

[Scott5114]

I will usually get $100 worth of $10s from the bank. I have no issue closing my wallet until I get up to about 30 bills or so.

[kphoger]

I have no issue closing my wallet until I get up to about 30 bills or so.

Good for you.

Seriously, I do have trouble closing my wallet at fewer than 30 bills.  And more than just a few makes it bulky enough for me to notice when sitting down.  (I should mention that I'm very skinny, so I have a padding-less butt.)

[hbelkins]

Avoiding coins, I get, because they're heavy. But bills barely weigh anything, so having five $1s doesn't even affect you negatively in any way.

Too many bills in my wallet make it bulky in my pocket and difficult to close.

I've never had that issue. If only...

[Scott5114]

Avoiding coins, I get, because they're heavy. But bills barely weigh anything, so having five $1s doesn't even affect you negatively in any way.

Too many bills in my wallet make it bulky in my pocket and difficult to close.

I've never had that issue. If only...

Even better if they're all $100s.

[webny99]

I have no issue closing my wallet until I get up to about 30 bills or so.

Good for you.

Seriously, I do have trouble closing my wallet at fewer than 30 bills.  And more than just a few makes it bulky enough for me to notice when sitting down.  (I should mention that I'm very skinny, so I have a padding-less butt.)

I think that's a wallet problem, not a you problem.

[kphoger]

I think that's a wallet problem, not a you problem.

Perhaps.  It's a tri-fold wallet, so I suppose there's extra non-money material compared to a bi-fold one.  But–call me cheap–I'm not about to go and buy a new wallet just so Scott5114 can rest assured that I'm paying for store purchases in a manner he prefers.

(I found the wallet in a trash can at work nearly twenty years ago.)

[Scott5114]

...A trifold wallet you dug out of the trash 20 years ago?

Once things settle down here, I'll buy you a new wallet.

[webny99]

(I found the wallet in a trash can at work nearly twenty years ago.)

Snakes alive.

Once things settle down here, I'll buy you a new wallet.

I'll contribute. I won't notice the difference between 3 and 4 bills in my wallet.

[kphoger]

...A trifold wallet you dug out of the trash 20 years ago?

Once things settle down here, I'll buy you a new wallet.

I'll contribute. I won't notice the difference between 3 and 4 bills in my wallet.

Are you guys missing the point?  I don't desire a new wallet.  Paying with an aim to avoid extra bills as change does not inconvenience me one bit–only, apparently, Scott5114.

[webny99]

Are you guys missing the point?  I don't desire a new wallet.  Paying with an aim to avoid extra bills as change does not inconvenience me one bit

The point is that it's probably time for a new wallet, whether you're inconvenienced or not.

[kphoger]

The point is that it's probably time for a new wallet, whether you're inconvenienced or not.

Why?  The one I have works just fine, so why would it be time for a new one?

I don't get it.

[webny99]

I do have trouble closing my wallet at fewer than 30 bills.  And more than just a few makes it bulky enough for me to notice when sitting down.

(I found the wallet in a trash can at work nearly twenty years ago.)

The one I have works just fine, so why would it be time for a new one?

I don't get it.

Me either.

[kphoger]

I don't get it.

Me either.

↓ ↓ See below. ↓ ↓

Other than usually keeping a couple of dollars in my wallet to cover bus fare in case my car breaks down, I have little use for cash;  I typically carry two bucks.  (For the record, I just checked my wallet after typing that, and I indeed have two dollars in my wallet at this very moment.)

[Roadrunner75]

I don't get it.

Me either.

↓ ↓ See below. ↓ ↓

Other than usually keeping a couple of dollars in my wallet to cover bus fare in case my car breaks down, I have little use for cash;  I typically carry two bucks.  (For the record, I just checked my wallet after typing that, and I indeed have two dollars in my wallet at this very moment.)

Johnny will be coming by shortly for your two dollars...

[DeaconG]

My first calculator was the original TI-83(?) with the LED digits, but my first take-no-prisoners calculator was the HP-41CV. I fell in love with that thing and probably gave my thumbs muscles in programming it. Eventually I acquired the Extended Memory Module, Extended Functions Module, IR printer module and the Magnetic Card Reader (I so badly wanted the Cassette and Disk Drive). I used it extensively until I decided to upgrade to a new calculator, so I gifted the entire package to my cousin who was attending FAMU; who either 1) sold it or 2) broke it. (It's one of those things that even 30 years later, she literally will not tell me what happened to it, and I'm going 'Look, I'm not butthurt, but this don't make no sense!').

Then I purchased an HP-48SX (which I still have) along with two 128K RAM cards and the IR printer. I have no idea where my printer disappeared to (and I still had a box of thermal printer paper) and I lost one of my RAM cards through my stupidity (I left it too close to a table and one of my little cousins knocked the calculator onto the hard floor and one of the cards immediately died with a broken connector).

Now I have a HP-50g plastic fantastic from China with a 2GB SD card installed...it works, but I don't have the mindset to start programming it despite me having all the software downloaded to do it. I spend more time either using my phone calculator or my HP-48.

I lusted for an HP-71, but I couldn't get one because the business I bought my HP-41 from didn't want to deal with anything HP anymore and got out of selling their calculators.

Besides RPN, the great thing with HP calculator is that it guaranteed the "Hey, can I borrow your calculator?" crowd would go away, they'd go "Damn, it's an HP..." and I would smile.

HP abandoning RPN killed it for me, it was the only differentiator that could be used effectively if you knew your way around an HP.

[Roadrunner75]

HP abandoning RPN killed it for me, it was the only differentiator that could be used effectively if you knew your way around an HP.

They don't do RPN anymore??  I can't imagine going back at this point.  I have two HP 48GXs - one at work, and one I keep at home because it's too much of a hassle going back to a regular one.  I think one of them is almost 25 years old and I'll do anything to keep them running.  At one point our office started getting newer HPs and I hated the keys.  Half the time it wouldn't seem to register a button press, unlike the 48s which have more of a substantial typewriter style key press than the newer flatter ones.

I even found a 48GX app for the Iphone that recreates it exactly.

Otherwise, I don't use it for anything complex.  Just basic calculations - It's really just for the RPN now...

[kkt]

Most HP calculators now are a hybrid... you can use them as RPN or with algebraic entry.  I'm not sure how well it works as I haven't had one of those.