HP-38G
Encyclopedia
Graphing calculator
A graphing calculator typically refers to a class of handheld calculators that are capable of plotting graphs, solving simultaneous equations, and performing numerous other tasks with variables...
by Hewlett Packard. It was introduced in 1995 with a suggested retail price
Suggested retail price
The manufacturer's suggested retail price , list price or recommended retail price of a product is the price which the manufacturer recommends that the retailer sell the product. The intention was to help to standardise prices among locations...
of 79.95 USD. HP credits a committee of eight high school, community college, and university teachers with assisting in the design of the calculator.
The HP-38G, unlike most of HP's other calculators, uses infix notation
Infix notation
Infix notation is the common arithmetic and logical formula notation, in which operators are written infix-style between the operands they act on . It is not as simple to parse by computers as prefix notation or postfix notation Infix notation is the common arithmetic and logical formula notation,...
rather than Reverse Polish notation
Reverse Polish notation
Reverse Polish notation is a mathematical notation wherein every operator follows all of its operands, in contrast to Polish notation, which puts the operator in the prefix position. It is also known as Postfix notation and is parenthesis-free as long as operator arities are fixed...
. Given the calculator's intended userbase of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
maths and science teachers and students, this is not surprising. The calculator is programmable, supporting small, interactive applications called "aplets" [sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
].
See also
- List of HP calculators
The production of the hp38g has been discontinued (since approx 2004).
Its replacement was the HP-39G
HP-39g series
HP-39g series calculators are the successors of HP-38G.There are five calculators in the 39 series of HP graphing calculators. These calculators have algebraic entry modes, and can perform numeric analysis together with varying degrees of symbolic calculation...
(for which a 'pirate' CAS
Computer algebra system
A computer algebra system is a software program that facilitates symbolic mathematics. The core functionality of a CAS is manipulation of mathematical expressions in symbolic form.-Symbolic manipulations:...
aplet came into circulation), hence there is also an HP-39G+ which has no known CAS aplet implementable.
Also, for European and some other authorities an HP-40G has been available, with an 'on-board' CAS facility. Since 2006, the HP-40G is replaced by the HP-40GS, built on the ARM architecture
ARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
, and offering both USB and RS232 connectivity.
External links
- HP Virtual Museum: Hewlett-Packard student graphic calculator
- hpcalc.org
- HP-38G pictures on MyCalcDB (database about 70's and 80's pocket calculators)