Hello everyone!
I haven't seen much on here about the 17BII+ so now that I own one, I thought I would write a quick blurb.
I ordered mine through Samson Cables and it arrived a few days ago. The keyboard definately has a cheaper feel when compared to my 17BII, but there is still a distinct "click" when each key is pressed. At first, the "1" and "2" keys had some difficulty registering (ie. I had to press quite hard), but after a day of moderate use, they seem to be fine (not sure why this is, but then again, I'm the business guy, not the engineer!) What I can tell you though is that the keyboard is MUCH better than that of a 10BII (which was my immediate worry when I saw that they shared the same body).
The display seems darker than my 17BII, and dare I say, easier to read. I also like the test routines; now, when you enter test mode, you have a menu to choose from; it allows you to test the keyboard, beep, IR port, etc...much more user friendly than the old pioneers.
Another nice feature is the addition of the foreign exchange calculator. This feature exists on the 19BII but wasn't present on the old 17BII. Although it was easy to create this using SOLVE, it's nice to have it available on the main menu.
I haven't really looked through the manual yet, so I can't comment, but I was pleasantly surprised by the case. It's sturdy, and has a magnetic closure. All in all, a nice touch.
So, although I have only used it for a couple of days, it's a decent replacement for my 17BII. Is it as rugged as an old HP? No. But at this price point, I think that they'll have good demand because there's value to the consumer.
My only wish for the 17BII++ would be a larger ENTER key. I use mine in RPN mode and I still haven't gotten used to the smaller ENTER key...
I'm now keeping my fingers crossed that the 19BII+ is still in development...haven't heard anything about it lately...anyone have any news?
B.