Hi, i have, at school, the mission to try calculators in order to give my opinion to my principal (who buy calculators for students) and also to tell students which calculator to buy.
1 months ago i receive a HP-48s, a TI-92+ a HP-38G and a HP-48GX to "try" and give my opinion.
I don't have any problem with RPN or Algebraic mode so my opinion is not base on this "feature".
I begun with the HP-38G and fin that learning this calculator is easy but the capabilities are a little bit limited. Next i try the 48S and 48GX. I read the quick start guide and begun to use the calculator.
after one or two weeks of use i was amase about what it can do but learning it is very difficult for me so i think my student will find that nearly impossible! I always hear the "beep" after entering a key that seems to be the good one!!! That reapiting beep over time get me nervous and i stop using the calculator ( i know i can disable the beep).
exemple : just entering a closing parenthesis in an equation is painful and not ergonomic, changing the window range, exchanging files with computer is painful and time consuming to learn.
After that i open the TI-92 and find it easy and ergonimic to learn; i was able to draw at my taste a polar or a parametric situation withou the manual in a clic of an eye.
The problem is that i don't like basic programming and prefer keystroke : no graphing calclator i know is capable of that. Keystroke programming is ergonomic and you don'T have to learn a lot to program it basicly.
So i told my student to buy a TI-89 or a ti-92 or a voyage 200 and for lower grade i also include a hp-38G.
I like RPN, it's logic and fun to teach it to student and see and their eye they catch it in a minute BUT graphing calculator from HP are too hard to learn and time consuming. Why not do a TI-89 like calculator with RPN entry?
I think RPN can have a chance with students if someone can make a calculator that can be fun and easy to learn and ERGONOMIC like the TI-92!!!
My HP-41 is the best but don't have the graphing capabilities i need. For learning the 41, it's not so easy but very FUN and logic!
I'm lucky and open mind because when i compare what other teacher that have the same "job" in others schools, they even don't want to hear about RPN or HP! Thye miss things : RPN is ergonomic but HP-48G is not!
I'm talking about learning a tool, but not the keys, the LCD, the functions, or nothing physical here; i think HP graphinc calculator 48 series have a good quality; the problem is the OS?
Or do you have some tips for me for the 48? learning tutorial?
Is the 49G the same, i never try it yet...
Michel
Edited: 7 Oct 2003, 7:13 p.m.