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You are missing the point. These are calculators designed specifically for the high school market, with the special, mandated by law, exam mode and restricted f

by janoc 8y ago

You are missing the point. These are calculators designed specifically for the high school market, with the special, mandated by law, exam mode and restricted functions. Nobody else really needs one. BTW, the Prime is $50 more expensive than this thing and doesn't have the exam mode -> illegal to use in exams in France, for ex.

connorelsea 8y ago
And Prime doesn't seem to run python or any scripting language. This open calculator does
- siproprio 8y ago
  What do you mean by scripting language? I think that any advantage of being able to run python is moot considering that it has only 256KB of RAM.
  - jhall1468 8y ago
    I don't think you understand just how much memory that is for a basic python script.
  - gh02t 8y ago
    It's based on MicroPython, which is designed to run in highly constrained embedded environments. You can do quite a lot with 256KB of RAM, MicroPython is surprisingly efficient.
siproprio 8y ago
Actually, the HP Prime has exam mode. And for high-schools, personally, I think something simpler and less expensive would be nicer. And I also wish there would be a calculator more targeted at engineers.
- falcrist 8y ago
  If you're looking for something for engineering, check out the HP 50g. It's discontinued, but it definitely trades blows with the TI 89ti (it even has an IRDA port, SD card slot, and an RS232 port). It's fundamentally an RPN machine, but the stack acts more like a command line, holding objects like equations, variables, and even programs. For something smaller, there's the Swissmicros DM42. That one is definitely an engineers tool, but it's exclusively RPN. It's basically a super modern HP 42s with a huge, georgeous screen and a USB interface (and a modern ARM MCU). The software is based on the excellent Free42 project.
  - qubex 8y ago
    I’ve had the 49G, the 50G, and the Prime. I definitely enjoy the latter, though I don’t like it’s gimmicks (such as the touch screen) I do some solid work on it. The CAS is quite serviceable for my level of algebraic manipulation, for anything it can’t handle I either use my brain or plod over to Mathematica (depending on mood, mostly).
  - blattimwind 8y ago
    The FX-991 is pretty common across engineering students - and actual engineers, too.
    - falcrist 8y ago
      The fx-991 fx-115, HP 35s, and TI 36x Pro are the best calculators allowed on the Fundamentals of Engineering and Principles of engineering exams in the US.
- salzg 8y ago
  Isn't there concern of python availability during SAT/ACT exams? What is the criteria for allowing a calculator in these exams?

by janoc 8y ago

connorelsea 8y ago

And Prime doesn't seem to run python or any scripting language. This open calculator does

siproprio 8y ago
What do you mean by scripting language? I think that any advantage of being able to run python is moot considering that it has only 256KB of RAM.
- jhall1468 8y ago
  I don't think you understand just how much memory that is for a basic python script.
- gh02t 8y ago
  It's based on MicroPython, which is designed to run in highly constrained embedded environments. You can do quite a lot with 256KB of RAM, MicroPython is surprisingly efficient.

siproprio 8y ago

Actually, the HP Prime has exam mode. And for high-schools, personally, I think something simpler and less expensive would be nicer. And I also wish there would be a calculator more targeted at engineers.

falcrist 8y ago
If you're looking for something for engineering, check out the HP 50g. It's discontinued, but it definitely trades blows with the TI 89ti (it even has an IRDA port, SD card slot, and an RS232 port). It's fundamentally an RPN machine, but the stack acts more like a command line, holding objects like equations, variables, and even programs. For something smaller, there's the Swissmicros DM42. That one is definitely an engineers tool, but it's exclusively RPN. It's basically a super modern HP 42s with a huge, georgeous screen and a USB interface (and a modern ARM MCU). The software is based on the excellent Free42 project.
- qubex 8y ago
  I’ve had the 49G, the 50G, and the Prime. I definitely enjoy the latter, though I don’t like it’s gimmicks (such as the touch screen) I do some solid work on it. The CAS is quite serviceable for my level of algebraic manipulation, for anything it can’t handle I either use my brain or plod over to Mathematica (depending on mood, mostly).
- blattimwind 8y ago
  The FX-991 is pretty common across engineering students - and actual engineers, too.
  - falcrist 8y ago
    The fx-991 fx-115, HP 35s, and TI 36x Pro are the best calculators allowed on the Fundamentals of Engineering and Principles of engineering exams in the US.
salzg 8y ago
Isn't there concern of python availability during SAT/ACT exams? What is the criteria for allowing a calculator in these exams?