So apparently HP has some new calculators...but why can't I buy them?

[FenderBender]

So I was roaming around the internet looking at calculators and I ran across some new HP calculators, but when I went on the USA HP website, none of them were there! Just the same old HP 50g, 35s, yadayada..

Then I checked the UK HP website and lo and behold, there they were! They appear to have 3 new calculators, though I guess I would probably call them re-styling..

HP 39Gii  http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/products/calculators/product-detail.html?oid=5154837
HP SmartCalc 300s+ http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/products/calculators/product-detail.html?oid=5265921
HP 10s+ http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/products/calculators/product-detail.html?oid=5265920


Interesting...a company who started operations in the US releasing to other parts of the world first. I wonder why that is.

These calculators aren't the top-tier models you guys are probably looking for, but they look respectable enough.

Not sure if I care for the glossy finger-print magnet surface, but perhaps the white is good for that?

[tom66]

Well, that's interesting. The 300s+, basic model, looks like it has Casio's natural-VPAM feature; the LCD and formula layout looks identical. The button layout is different. I like my 83GT+ (Casio), but it has an odd problem where it will occasionally fade the LCD, lock up with junk on the screen and require a restart.

[Lightages]

It's not an HP calculator to me if it has a = key!

Try buying something here.
http://commerce.hpcalc.org/

and also notice he is selling a modded 30B call the WP 34S!
http://commerce.hpcalc.org/34s.php

I have a 35S and it basically is a good old HP feel and look, although it doesn't have the double injected keys.

[FenderBender]

Yeah yeah. These are mostly high school/college calculators that need to meet testing standards.

I'm wondering if they are looking to release a new RPN grapher...50g+? Or something

[FenderBender]

I did see that WP 34S thing. I wonder how it is

[FenderBender]

Very intruiging. The 30b actually seems like an excellent calculator. 30MHz ARM chip. Apparently it has good keys also.

So this overlay seems very interesting. It might feel like you are not truly using an HP, but if you can get over that, seems nice.

[Lightages]

Give it a try virtually

http://sourceforge.net/projects/wp34s/files/

[FenderBender]

Wow cool. Going to give it a try

[EEVblog]

The exponent key placement on that 300s+ is ridiculous!
It should be were the RCL key is.

Dave.

[FenderBender]

I think that's a fairly typical location for one...though I do agree that there is really no need for RCL to be so large.

[FenderBender]

RE: HP "WP-34s"

It looks very nice, but I just don't like the idea that the keys and overlay will probably wear out in time. Seems like you are buying a product that is fated to fail...well I guess that's just about all electronics these days, but I'd prefer my calculator always work and look like it was intended to.

Is that a strange quirk?

I do agree that it does seem like a very nice concept. If HP built this so-called WP-34s, I think it would be an excellent calculator, just I'm not too sure about this retrofitting skin thing.

[EEVblog]

I think that's a fairly typical location for one

Only on stupid one 
For scientific use It's like having the decimal point up the top and part of the function keys.

Dave.

[FenderBender]

I think that's a fairly typical location for one

Only on stupid one 
For scientific use It's like having the decimal point up the top and part of the function keys.

Dave.

Yeah I agree. It's not like HP actually designed this thing. It's of course an Asian design with the HP logo stamped on it, but what else is new?

I saw on the new Casio scientific calculators, they have a big 10^x key in approximately the same spot the RCL button is on the HP.

[Lightages]

RE: HP "WP-34s"

It looks very nice, but I just don't like the idea that the keys and overlay will probably wear out in time. Seems like you are buying a product that is fated to fail...well I guess that's just about all electronics these days, but I'd prefer my calculator always work and look like it was intended to.

This is why I mentioned the double injected keys of the past. They never wore out. But if you think about the WP34S, you can buy a replacement overlay very cheaply. That is better than silk screened keys that are garbage when worn out.

Is that a strange quirk?

I think your strange quirk is the same as mine, expecting any quality in anything anymore.

I do agree that it does seem like a very nice concept. If HP built this so-called WP-34s, I think it would be an excellent calculator, just I'm not too sure about this retrofitting skin thing.

I like it except for one thing, one register on the stack visible. After using an HP48 I really got used to seeing 4.

[Dago]

Who even uses calculators nowadays since you can get an TI-89 emulator on your Android phone https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Bisha.TI89Emu&hl=en

(Just kidding, I still do use a real calculator... sometimes)

[T4P]

the 39GII looks like it's a chinese design ... the picture gives it away And well the 300s+ is definitely a casio design my sister has one and natural-VPAM looks exactly like this
The HP 10s+ on the other hand reminds me of a Sharp ...

[EEVblog]

I saw on the new Casio scientific calculators, they have a big 10^x key in approximately the same spot the RCL button is on the HP.

All Casio scientifics have had it in that location for the last 30 years

Dave.

[tom66]

The key layout is different on the HP, but the display graphics and LCD look the same -- down to the glyphs at the top of the LCD.

[EEVblog]

Well, that's interesting. The 300s+, basic model, looks like it has Casio's natural-VPAM feature

I hate the VPAM operation.
I still use old pre-VPAM Casio's.

Dave.

[FenderBender]

What's wrong with VPAM?

[tom66]

I have no problem with it, but it is easily possible to turn it off: Shift+Mode->LineIO.
I miss the features when using my TI-83.

[FenderBender]

I think I may do a low budget scientific calculator shootout.

-Casio FX-300ES Plus
-Sharp EL-W516X
-TI 36X Pro
-HP Smartcalc 300s(+)
-Canon F-792SGA

That's what's on the list. Who knows when that will happen but I'm curious to see the results myself.

[IanB]

What's wrong with VPAM?

It's a triumph of marketing over functionality. Calculators should either work with direct entry--press a button, get a function--or they should have a full command line with text entry and line editing. The half-way, neither one nor the other stuff is just annoying.

Most importantly, VPAM doesn't correspond to the way people think. If you are working a problem, your thinking goes "do some complicated stuff, now take the square root of the result". It doesn't go "in a few calculations time I am going to need a square root function, so I'd better press the square root key now so it's waiting for me when I get there". VPAM was invented by people who never did a calculation in their life.

[tom66]

VPAM was designed by people who wanted to make calculators more useful for secondary school students and elementary maths; it is marketed as "natural textbook display", i.e. entering the problem as displayed in the textbook. I do wish it had some way to easily apply operators to previously entered input, although you can do that using Ans.

[alm]

I occasionally use a small TI calculator (TI-30X) with algebraic input, whatever TI's equivalent of VPAM is called. Seems to work the same asthe graphing calculators, with decent history and line editing abilities. I don't mind using it, although I prefer RPN calculators. There's something to be said for being able to see and edit the whole equation before pressing enter. Also makes minor changes in equations much more convenient. Try going back and changing a parameter with an immediate execution calculator.