HP-41 has always amazed me with its capabilities and expandability, even today it is the most used calculator I have and yet still so much to learn which MCODE being the next. Especially it was a great tool while I was doing my graduate work in a cryogenics lab at NIST in early 90’s running various lab instruments on HP-IL and GP-IB, collecting data and analyzing. It was always ahead of its time and nothing since was developed with such expandability, I guess until now…
I was reading about “TI nspire” and “TI nspire Lab” which gives you five ports – three analog and two digital – the TI-Nspire Lab Cradle allows students to use up to five sensors at one time, including high-sample-rate sensors. In addition Verneir provides many different both digital and analog sensors and software to collect and analyze data. Amazing machine! So much more potential…
Vernier software and sensors for nspire
I think once HP’s instruments and measurement division (which is Agilent now) had great influence and source of inspiration on their calculators’ product line with quality, reliability, expandability, software, etc. There was a lot of synergy between the two, with the Calculator division to gain the most. The separation of these divisions to my opinion was a significant setback on quality, innovation and capability of their calculator line.
Unfortunately started with a pessimistic point of view, I am hoping that HP Calculator Division will make the executive decision to choose to gain back the market once more with innovation, quality and customer service over slow death.
Edited: 14 Feb 2012, 12:46 p.m.