HP calculator emulators

[Rick Nungester]

I was pleased to find and install the following calculator emulators on my Android smartphone and tablet. These are *emulators* that run the actual calculator ROM code to agree exactly with the real calculator, not *simulators* that look like HP calculators but use math libraries that might give different answers than the real calculator. I'd be interested in other Android/iOS *emulators* that you have actually used and endorse as being worth looking at.

Droid48sx:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.czo.droid48sx&hl=en

My favorite, based on Droid48 (below) but with simulated memory expansion cards. It won't beep, but does everything else I've tried the same as my real HP-48SX.

Droid48:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ab.x48&hl=en

I haven't installed this one, but it led to Droid48sx.

Droid48 Reader:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.drehersoft.droid48reader&hl=en

I've used this some. It allows reading whole-calculator backups or individual objects on your Android device, with a better and deeper (more information) interface than the actual calculator.

HC-16C:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.handheldcompetence.hc16c&hl=en

This emulates an HP-16C. I tested it using my "Approximate e (2.718...) to 400 decimal places" HP-16C program and it worked great.

HC-11C:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.handheldcompetence.hc11c&hl=en

This emulates an HP-11C. I haven't used it much but it is by the same author as HC-16C.

[spu...@gmail.com]

On iOS, I've briefly used (and am also new to the HP 50G itself) i48 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/i48/id329454950) and m48 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/m48/id332100614).

i48, based on x48 (like Droid48), is small and a bit limited. Emulates HP48GX. Apart from the display, the interface is merely a picture of an HP48GX, a bit blurred etc.. Can't save/load files from its interface.

m48 is very good (based on Emu48), also emulates the HP48GX, and it supports skins (possibly same as Emu48, can't tell). The recommended skin has a simple mode (bigger buttons, basic operations) and a full mode. In this skin the buttons are drawn (not a picture) and very clear. m48 has a bigger brother which is m48+ (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/m48+/id341541461), costing $10.99, so I didn't try it, which has a bigger list of features, including saving and loading files/libraries (which m48 doesn't), emulation also of the HP49 and HP49+, and even seems to be able to run the famed Metakernel when emulating the HP48GX.

(Not really an emulator, but anyway...) Today I also found Free42 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/free42/id337692629), which is not an emulator, but a reimplementation of the HP-42S. I installed it mostly because it is very small (does not even requires a ROM), so I have something with RPN in case I deinstall the others for space reasons or whatever. :]

Haven't looked/tried others.

Cya.

[aplnub]

m48+ all the way.

It has some bugs on my iPhone 6+ but those relate around the built in web server and file manager. I wish HP would do something official in this space. I would pay $100 for an official HP48G app. I wouldn't mind ROM improvements as this is the fastest calculator I've used.

The calculator portion runs fabulous. I run the multi steel skin.

[aplnub]

Sorry, I use the Don't Panic HD skin. I consider m48+ on the iPhone 6+ to be just about the perfect size for the HP48G series.