HP 33S Scientific Calculator (F2216A)
by Hewlett Packard
Our Price: $99.99
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Category: CE
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Manufacturer: Hewlett PackardModel: F2216A
Product features:
- RPN and algebraic key-in logic
- Easy-to-read 2-line LCD
- Sturdy rubber/plastic construction
- 32 KB memory, 27 memory storage and recall functions
- Automatic power off
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of HP 33S Scientific Calculator (F2216A)
Customer Review: The second best calculator for NCEES exams
Summary: 4 Stars
Like many buyers of the HP-33s, my purchase decision was forced by the NCEES calculator policy on the April 2005 FLS exam. As of November 2007, NCEES only allows 5 specific models of calculators:
1. Hewlett Packard - HP 33S
2. **NEW** Hewlett Packard HP-35s
2. Casio - FX 115MS or FX 115MSPlus (may have SR designation)
3. Texas Instruments - TI 30X IIS
4. Texas Instruments - TI 36X SOLAR
There are several points of difference that separate the HP-33 & 35 from the other 3 allowed models: They are the only calculators that are programmable, and the only ones that use RPN (a must-have feature for most users that have ever worked with an RPN calculator). The HP-33 has 26 user memories, the HP-35 has 800, whereas the next best model on the above list has only 5 memories. Many types of problems on the PE and LS exams may involve multi-stage solutions where the ability to store up to 26 intermediate numbers will save you from having to write them all out on paper. A typical example (from the LS exam) is State Plane to Geodetic Coordinate Conversion. This problem involves 4 separate, inter-related equations to be solved, which use 6 or 7 different table constants and a dozen or more intermediate variables. By the time you have worked through one of these problems, you will have generated values for at least 24 different constants and variables, and the HP-33s & 35s are the only calculators on the approved list that will let you store them all. For the FLS exam, I created programs to solve Horizontal Curves, Vertical Curves, Grade/Bearing/Distance Intersections, Areas of Irregular Polygons by Coordinates or by Traverse, and the above mentioned State Plane to Geodetic conversion. Having these programs on the calculator probably saved me at least 30 to 45 minutes of manual number crunching in the exam, and probably prevented many erroneous answers due to "fat-finger" mistakes that would have been made if the problems had been manually calculated. Bottom line is that the HP-33s/35s are really the only calculators you should even consider for an NCEES exam.
That said, I next want to lay out some of the gripes I have with the HP-33s.
1. Battery life is poor. I personally dislike CR-2032 batteries; they don't last very long in power-hungry devices like programmable calculators, making them pretty expensive. The manufacturers like them because they allow the device to be a lot thinner than it would be if powered with "AA" or "AAA" cells like the HP-50. My HP-33 goes through a set of batteries about every 6~9 months. The new HP-35 also uses CR-2032, and HP's web site states battery life on that model is also only about 9 months.
2. Memory is not "non-volatile". If you let the batteries die, all programs and data are lost and have to be keyed in again by hand, since the HP-33 has no way to back up it's memory to a PC, flash card, or other non-volatile storage. With 32K of memory, the HP-33 can hold many thousands of steps of program code: enough that it would take you a whole weekend or longer to key it all back in again if you actually had filled that whole 32K with programs.
3. The programming language, while relatively powerful for a sub-$100 calculator, has a few really annoying quirks. The worst is probably that there are only 26 "program labels" available ("A" through "Z"), and you have to use a label for the first line of any program "GOTO" or "EXECUTE" call. This is really bad news for any kind of program that involves a lot of conditional testing where you would branch to one or another subroutine depending on whether the test result is "yes" or "no". It would be far better if the language allowed for subroutine branching to a specific line number after a conditional test, so that you could save those precious few Labels for the first lines of the main programs. Not having line-number branching requires the programmer to write code that is a lot bulkier (and slower) than it could be, in the effort to conserve those 26 labels.
**NEW** The HP-35s has a much more powerful programming language that allows program branching to line numbers; the HP-35s is now allowed on NCEES exams, as of November 2007. The 35s also has a better display, with easier-to-see decimal point (a big gripe with the 33s is the tiny decimal point). If I needed to buy a calculator for an NCEES exam, I would pick the HP-35s over the 33s, even though it costs $20 more.
4. Readability of the display is really poor compared to most other calculators. As other reviewers have mentioned, the decimal point is TINY and far too easy to mistake for the comma in numbers with more than three digit places left of the decimal point. One can only hope that this annoyance has been fixed on the new HP-35s (IT HAS). I do like the two line display, it is really nice for functions like Polar to Rectangular conversion. Once you have used any calculator with a two-line display, you won't want to go back to one that doesn't have this feature.
5. I don't like the slanted keyboard, which is unlike that of any past HP calculator. The fact that the "ENTER" key is the same size as all the other keys is really irritating, considering that HP has always used a much larger "ENTER" key on it's RPN models. People who have not previously owned HP calculators may not have an issue with this. On the plus side, the keyboard is at least pretty comprehensive and gives access to most of the commonly used commands without having to dig too deep into sub-menus.
6. Programs sometimes seize up, or go into an endless loop that you can't kill with the "C" key; this is especially noticeable in programs that make use of the equation solver. Fortunately, there is a button on the underside of the calculator to force a reboot if none of the regular keyboard commands will stop a runaway or seized-up program. You will need a sewing needle or pin to push this button, as it is accessed through a really tiny hole (~0.7mm) in the casing.
7. Durability (or lack thereof). My HP-33s suddenly died about 28 months after it was purchased, for no apparent reason. Others have reported similar premature deaths of this model, raising questions about the build quality. Many people own HP calculators that were manufactured 20+ years ago that still work. I myself have a 1981 HP-67 that still works except for the card reader (it seized up in 1988 and HP no longer had the parts to repair or replace it). The point being that HP has always had a good reputation for building calculators that could stand up to hard use; the HP-33 just doesn't seem live up to the old standard of quality and durability.
SUMMARY: The HP-33s and 35s are currently by far the best calculator choices for the NCEES Engineers and Land Surveyors exams. I would rate it 5 stars in that respect. And it is a pretty good calculator at it's price point. BUT, the 33s has so many (relatively minor) annoyances and shortcomings that, if you are buying a calculator specifically for an NCEES exam, you will be better off with the new HP-35s, which is priced only $20 more than the 33 and has 800 memory registers (to the HP-33's 26). Then there's the HP-50G, which has light-years more capability than either the HP-33s or 35s, and is only $115 right here on Amazon.
RATING: Could have been 5 stars, but the questionable build quality and durability, short battery life, hard-to-read display, and lack of indirect addressing in the programming language force me to rate this calculator at only 4 stars.
NOTE: Taking a look at the specs for the new HP-35s, I get the impression that it might have a lot in common with the HP-33s. It has about the same amount of RAM user memory, 30K, and uses the same CR-2032 batteries (a bad sign as far as I'm concerned). All I could find on-line at HP's web site was a basic spec sheet that doesn't go into any details.
The biggest problem with the HP-33s (or 35s) is probably the fact that you can't back up your programs, risking the loss of a lot of time to key everything back in if the batteries go dead. On the other hand, it is this very lack of connectivity to other devices that is the reason that the HP-33 and 35 are one of the few calculators that NCEES does allow in it's exams.
UPDATE: The HP-35s uses pretty much the same RPL programming language as the 33s, but it has been upgraded to allow branching to line numbers! YAYYY! Thanks HP for listening to customer feedback. The HP-35s is missing a couple of functions that have been on most other HP scientific calcs, most notably Polar/Rectangular Coordinate conversion, but this can be worked around with a small program. Now that the NCEES has added the HP-35s to the list of approved calculators, I would definitely recommend it above the 33s.
Description of HP 33S Scientific Calculator (F2216A)
A great tool for engineers, surveyors, college students, scientists and medical professionals. More than 100 built-in functions. Accuracy, functionality and dependability! Rubber side grips for a comfortable hold.
HP 33S.
Pocket-sized and full-featured, the HP 33s Scientific Calculator is designed for engineers, surveyors, college students, scientists, and medical professionals. Its two-line display is easy to read, and at only 4.2 ounces, the unit slips easily into your pocket for travel.
Boasting both Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) and intuitive algebraic data entry modes, as well as 32 KB memory with 27 memory storage and recall functions, the 33s is ideal for solving a variety of science and engineering problems.
Functions include trigonometric, percentage, conversion, coordinate, time, angle, probability, factorial, gamma, fractions, and a variety of statistical operations. The calculator can solve equations, integrate, work with complex numbers, and is programmable. The 386-page manual thoroughly reviews the calculator's many features. When purchased new, the unit is backed by HP's one-year limited warranty.
What's in the Box
Calculator, two 3-volt lithium coin batteries (CR2032), instruction manual
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