An Easy Course In Programming The HP-11C and HP-15C (1984) [pdf]

literature.hpcalc.org

4 points·sourcepluck··3 comments

A near perfect software simulation of the HP-15C can be found at https://jrpn.jovial.com and on the available app stores.

I bought a HP-15C soon after it came out in the early 1980s and used it for almost 40 years until it finally died. I felt like I had lost a piece of my identity --- but not any more. Thank you Bill Foote.

Well, I've never had a programmable or engineering or scientific calculator of any kind. I want to get one and learn the basics of programming it, just for kicks, hence searching for good books, and finding the one above, which looks so very lovely.

The idea was - find a great book, get the calculator that matches it, and proceed from there. I love learning offline with physical books and tactile things.

However, both the actual hardware HP-15C and the book are very exagerrated in price. Maybe instead I'll get some less popular model, there must bee others which aren't as well-known but that are similarly great.

Here is the owner's manual for the HP-15c. This is all you need to learn to program it. It's what I used long, long ago.

https://www.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03030589.pdf

At the time it came out (pre-smart phone), programmability in your shirt pocket was whiz-bang stuff. Obviously not so any more.

If you're seriously into programming, you'll probably be disappointed.

I'd recommend Forth instead. Forth is a RPN calculator on steroids.

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