I've used an HP-42S for decades, and it's still my favorite calculator. When I first spotted the Swiss Micros DM42 it looked like a reprieve from the other inferior replacement calculators I've tried. It is a great subsititute for my 42S, with the keys in the same place, and compatible with the programming I've learned. The extra row of buttons make life simpler for using the functions, and the USB connectivity is a great bonus. I can highly recommend this, it has become by daily-driver at work. The only single minor quibble I have is that the button spacing is slightly different than the HP-42s...Other than that, it's a perfect replacement.
ok, I was led to believe that this item had only "smudges" on the back plate , and some dust under the glass, that is not the case, the product does not turn on and please observe on the photo, had etched on the display a solitaire game.the reviews on the product are good, and I believe this is a good product. not this unit.I will not buy from this seller again.
I have been a calculator fan since the late 70's - back in the days when calculators were instruments, not disposable electronics. When I saw this calculator, I had to have one. In fact, I purchased a few different models. There is no doubt that this is a fantastic product. It's solid and well-made. The display and everything about it is cool. It does a great job of emulating the original calculator, with a few bonus functions.I have not had a keyboard issue (missing key presses) with this specific calculator, but I did purchase the DM16L from the same company. That calculator has keyboard issues. As an Engineer, I think the issue acts like keyboard input is polled - not driven by interrupts (or interrupts are not buffered or serviced fast enough). The DM16L simply loses key presses. The DM42, seems to do much better. I would recommend that the manufacturer concentrate in this area - it's a primary part of the user experience. For the DM16L, it makes the calculator mostly unusable for an every day tool, and relegates it to toy status.I miss the multi-sided keys of the original HP calculators. I'd pay more to get that aesthetic. After all, nostalgia is a main driver for the purchase of this calculator. Why not go all the way?I look forward to future calculators from this company. Some of the older HP's (e.g. HP41C) or even a few TI dinosaurs (SR52/56/59) would be nice.
tl;dr: A fantastic 5 star RPN calculator let down by QC defect issues on the back cover plateI already have HP 15c and 28S calculators that I love, but have lamented that I never purchased a HP 42S long ago, especially since I use Free42 on all of my computers. While browsing for a used HP 42S, I ran across info for this calculator as an alternative. While the price of this calculator is rather high, it's cheap compared to finding a good used HP 42S.The good:* Wonderful easy to read screen with much more info displayed than on the original HP42S and Free42 application* Hackable and customizable; make it yours just the way you want it. It's also very easy to take apart, unlike my other HP calculators. Can be connected to your computer via USB for making backups or adding programs with ease.* Large community of support for this calculator along with supporting programs that can be run on it.* Includes an attractive proper slip case. (see attached photo)* Battery life has been great so far, no issues. Can optionally run it from a USB micro charger too (as an alternative power source, not for recharging). The internal CR2032 battery is easy to find in local stores and simple to replace.* Extensive detailed documentation is available online for this calculator, but don't expect any in the product box.* The design and construction of this calculator is very well thought out. The back of the calculator is made out of steel and can be removed with ease for repair or battery changes. But this metal back plate has serious issues, see below for more...The not so great:* Button keys are stiff and clicky; nowhere close to the original HP calculator keys on my 15c and 28S. That said, they function just fine and give feedback when pressed. I haven't had any issues with sticky or unresponsive keys.* No USB connectivity out of the box. I tried six different name brand high quality USB micro cables and none would permit connection to my linux computers, nor to my windows computer. Once I removed the back cover plate to investigate, I tried again and the connection to the computer worked as expected. Turns out this is due to the back cover of the calculator not being manufactured correctly and it sticks out too far from the top edge of the calculator, making the internal USB connector in too deep for a cable connection. I had to bend my cover inward where the USB connector is located (see attached photo). Once bent, I have had no further USB connectivity issues.* Bottom of the calculator has a slight bowl shape that prevents the calculator from sitting flat on a flat surface. The bowl shape is high enough that the calculator rocks from side to side as you key in button presses.I'm left wondering if there is a recent QC issue for the metal back of this calculator or are others seeing these same issues. I have s/n 06790 in case that is a helpful data point. This defective metal back unfortunately lets down what is otherwise a fantastic calculator.
This is the best calculator I have ever had the pleasure to own and use. Bottom line... it works and works well. In terms of pure calculating, there is very little it cannot do. From simple numbers and calculations to complex numbers, matrix mathematics, advanced functions, and programming to the ability to create and store multiple states of the calculator and maintain and create backups and programming offline from the calculator, this ends up being a very versatile tool with few practical limits.There are a few brilliant touches here that make the calculator much easier to use than its predecessor (the HP 42s, which was/is a very good calculator). Just to point out a few of them... the row of dedicated soft keys at the top of the keyboard reduces the overlap of functions and lets one program a more user friendly interface. The display showing all 4 stack registers at once is easy to read and helps one keep a better visual track of calculations as they progress through the stack. The e-ink display in general is great and is adjustability makes it something that can be easy to read for a wide range of people while consuming minimal power.There are other innovations here, but those are a few which have been most noticeable and practical for me in my day to day use. The keyboard is solid with a good feedback and, in long term use, has become my favorite keyboard among my many calculators. The case and body is solid, mostly metal design using titanium with a back surface that has just enough stiction to remain comfortably firm and set solidly in one’s hands and fingers. It also has just enough heft for one to know they have a positive grip on something.A bit of a plus feature for those who have an HP infrared printer... it will print to it. Though I first thought that would be a novelty, I have ended up using it far more than I would have expected.If you want one last forever calculator, this could very well be it. There other very nice ones that do CAS and make pretty pictures. But for pure number crunching, one would be hard pressed to find a better pocket calculator (that actually fits in your pocket!).