First impressions HP30B
#1

Received my new HP30B courtesy of CalcPro.com - thank you Paul Nelson. First impressions:

1) Keys are hinged. Key presses are not spongy (as unfortunately they are on my HP20B).

2) Display is easy to read with good contrast (unlike my earlier gold HP17BIIs).

3) HP30B retains the HP20B's scalloped design, but unlike HP20B, if you place it upside down the calculator's sides don't support & protect the keys. Rather the HP30B keys end up being what the calculator rests on. Odd of HP to retain the 'high sides' design without retaining this aspect of it.

4) While the HP30B is similar in appearance to the sliver HP 17BII+ and has a two-line display, it doesn't provide labels on the display over the topmost row of keys. I miss this ease-of-use feature found on the HP17BII-family and HP42S.

Conclusion:

I still prefer my silver HP17BII+ as the best HP financial calculator and, if you can live w/o the scientific functions, best readily available RPN calculator. However the HP30B adds scientific functions and a lower price point. So for me, it's just deciding which stays at work, and which lives in the briefcase.


Edited: 2 Aug 2010, 6:32 p.m.

#2

Thanks for your concise assessment! Have you tried the programming aspects of the 30b? The Silver 17bii+ ( too bad they couldn't pick another model designator since that was already taken by the golden brick) is definitely a force to be reconed with.



Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  HP30b cable I can borrow? eri 7 2,712 11-10-2013, 07:55 PM
Last Post: Paul Berger (Canada)
  help flashing a hp30b to a wp34s john mantooth 3 1,612 09-25-2013, 08:58 AM
Last Post: Thomas Chrapkiewicz
  JTAG cable for HP30B? John Ioannidis 2 1,347 07-01-2013, 02:16 PM
Last Post: John Ioannidis
  HP30b to WP34S keyboard pretreatment Neil Hamilton (Ottawa) 4 1,595 12-15-2012, 01:13 PM
Last Post: Neil Hamilton (Ottawa)
  HP30b bugs? Che 27 6,178 11-06-2012, 07:46 PM
Last Post: Matt Agajanian
  Question to Eric Rechlin & Gene Wright about HP30b/30b repurposing at HHC2012 Namir 2 1,230 08-04-2012, 05:30 PM
Last Post: Namir
  WP34S, first impressions Andres Capdevila 27 6,284 03-30-2012, 12:02 PM
Last Post: Les Wright
  HP30b design choices David Griffith 1 1,033 02-13-2012, 06:41 PM
Last Post: Tim Wessman
  HP 10bII+ vs. 10bII first impressions Kevin Colville (S. Africa) 6 2,089 10-31-2011, 04:38 AM
Last Post: Kevin Colville (S. Africa)
  WP-34S: HP20B vs HP30B keyboard Rob Willett 3 1,241 10-24-2011, 03:56 AM
Last Post: Paul Dale

Forum Jump: