8 / 2 (2 + 2) =

[Rene]

That sounds like something you would find in a Canadian farming community.

Well, I do live further north than most of the folks who live in Ontario.

 

[Rene]

Liberia and Myanar also use the English system. Emojis help to tell that you are being cheeky. If you wanted to be correct, it would be the "American customary system" as there are differences from the imperial system, mostly in volume.

Assuming this is true, they simply didn't teach you anything. They may well have taught you the "right" history, science, and grammar, but by your own admission, you were reading rather than listening to the teacher(s)- I assume you had more than one teacher. They were all bad?

So, that's where can I get some of those 160 ounce gallons of MoGas? The ones in Canada are stale. But, I don't have a Monrovia Sectional.

My high school valued quiet and conformity. I learned that just being quiet earned one a 'B' for 50% of the class grade. ('A's were for those the teach liked.) So, I just read and took the required tests. Nobody left behind was interpreted to mean moving at an injured snail's pace. So, "bad" is a matter of opinion. The teachers who lasted more than a semester did as the district administration told them to. And they were generally happy to ignore anyone not bothering them or specifically asking for help (although individuals sometimes conflated the two).

By definition, a school district is a political subdivision, filled with politics, and politicians, so I won't go there. I guess the state college system is too, and each feels that the other is "wrong". That's why I liked math. It was supposed to just have one correct answer that was repeatable and verifiable.

 

[Pinecone]

I had an HP-11C all through college. Was a wonderful calculator with RPN (as God intended) which was a constant companion in all of my Electrical Engineering classes. Used to enjoy (Yes, I'm petty) it in my Computer Science minor classes when a CS major would ask to borrow my calculator. "Sure thing" sez I. It was funny to watch them puzzling over the keyboard. Where's the equals key? Maybe this ENTER key is the same as the EQUALS KEY? Hmmmm, Let's see 2 * 2 ENTER? No, that can't be right? How the heck does this thing work? They'd usually hand it back to me with a sheepish, "thanks", and then borrow someone else's "normal" calculator.

RPN is a much more efficient way of using a calculator, isn't it?

I have an HP-41CX app on my iPhone. And have an RPN calc (Excaliber) on all my computers. And a couple of -41s on my desk

Once I learned RPN, I have not owned a "regular" calculator.

I worked for HP with the HP-41C came out. I got one. Later sold to a friend and I got a -41CV. It is still around the house.

 

[Pinecone]

I remember considering an HP-41, but I liked that the HP-15 was small enough to fit into a pocket.

The great thing about the -41 was the programming modules. I think I still have an Aviation Module laying around.

Not to mention the card reader and printer.

 

[Sac Arrow]

I have a 42S sitting in my desk right now, but if I need a calculator, I have Excalibur on my computers. I got a 28S when I was going through undergraduate ME school. It was a folding thing that had a big LCD screen for graphing. Then the 48 series came out. I borrowed a coworker's 48X with a survey pack to take with me for the survey portion of the California civil PE exam.

I liked the 42S, and used it for much of my initial engineering career, up until handheld calculators became redundant. I see on EBAY that these things are fairly valuable now.