Neat TI calculator coming, too.

[Joerg Woerner]

This is what you are really looking for:

http://education.ti.com/us/product/tech/baiipluspro/details/details.html

- Brushed metal faceplate

- High Quality keyboard

- Real rubber feet

- Cool design

Enjoy,

Joerg

[Namir Shammas]

I agree with you. Looks very nice! I may get one too!

[Bill Wiese]

Hi...

Yes, this looks nice.

This is what the HP33S should look like - with a large [ENTER^] key above the numeric keypad, of course ;)

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA

[Thomas Radtke]

Hi Jörg,

how do you know the keyboard is 'high quality'? Good looking device anyway, but: No solver? Not programmable? Not competitive!

BTW, what is this talk about TI's here, is this a 'classic HP calcs' forum or a 'frustrated HP users go TI' forum?;)

Thomas

[Paul Brogger]

Unfortunately, it's both ...

[Joerg Woerner]

Hi Thomas,

Just buy a cheap TI-1706SV
(this one: http://www.datamath.org/BASIC/LCD_Modern/TI-1706SV_2003.htm)
and you'll notice the new keyboard feeling of TI's latest calculators.

Regards,
Joerg

[Paul Brogger]

I found a BA-II Plus at the thrift store for a couple bucks, and that's what rides around in my glove compartment. (Imagine my surprise seeing them for $30.00 at Wal-Mart!)

I must say, the old model feels very nice in-hand, and works great (at a superficial level, at least). I'm not sure this glitzy new version is any real improvement.

(I note that the TI-84 doesn't seem to offer any functional advantage over the 83+SE, either.)

[Gene]

Doesn't look like much of a features bump, however. Only notice a few things added.

Good...won't be too much trouble to update my business math textbook. ;-)

Now, if only HP would produce a $30-40 business calculator with RPN and trigonometry!

[Paul Brogger]

Sorry to say, I'm not acquainted with your book. How exactly do you update it? An appendix for each calculator model, with keystrokes for each feature utilized?

Just curious . . .

[AK]

ya. and they are UGLY.

[Gene]

Depends on the price.

If it is less than $50, it will be quite tough to compete with.

HP's offering in the BAII Plus range, the HP10bII, does not compete well on features.

The $30 TI BAII Plus is an amazing business calculator. Now, it looks really nice too.

[Michel Beaulieu]

What is ugly, tell me.

I often (each day...) bring some HP calculator at school (old one ) especially my HP-41. All my students without esception find the calculator very UGLY!!! I show them a HP-30S and thy find this one very cool!!! They prefer the TI-83+ silver edition over all that exist and i think that they will find these new TI and even HP calculator very appealing metalic case : they will buy them. Some of my students won't even touch a HP-25 because it's too ugly.

Me i think that a HP-41C is a very beautiful calculator over newest one; they think opposite... Who have the truth, what is a beautiful calculator? I think newer claculator a beautiful for newer eyes and old calculator ...well for me...

Salut!

[Gene]

But there are some things that most would agree are really ugly.

I love my 41.

The brushed metal look of the BAII Plus professional certainly looks nice. Doesn't look like it was made for kids, at least.

Cheers! :-)

Gene

[Dia C. Tran]

I bought the HP25 because it looked better than the TI-SR51. I didn't know anything about calculator back then.

[Michel Beaulieu]

Is the 25 mor beautiful than the ti?

[Michael Meyer]

HOW can you ask if the 25 is more beautiful than a TI?

I had a patient's daughter once come into my office. She was physically one of the most attractive women I'd ever seen, but the minute she opened her mouth, she became one of the ugliest people I'd ever met.

The HP-25 is one of the most beautiful devices ever made... brilliant engineering, modular, tougher than nails, and more powerful than it appears. But its beauty is amplified by how it works, not just how it looks.

Clearly, I'm biased, and part of its beauty is related to it being from my past. But I will also argue that there are machines from the past with no true equal: I can still add faster on an HP-25 than a modern "cheap" calculator that has no real keyboard. And nothing is quite like an HP-67. or 71b. or 19c.......

There was an article in the business section of our paper last week about how the HP-12C is the oldest electronic device at the annual electronics show, and how it still sells well.

There are faster, more powerful calculators, but there's still more beauty (to ME for MY purposes) in a classic. (But I'd rather drive a restored classic car than a modern, look-alike generic. Alas, that will have to wait).

Enough said. The HP classics are beautiful on so many levels. Doesn't mean most people can appreciate them... but we'll see which ones of the modern calcs end up being collected in 30 years!!

[Vassilis Prevelakis]

Come on, this thing is ugly. The case looks like a bathtab,
the display is sunk into the casing so you have to look
down onto the calculator to read it, and the case has that discusting beige color.

If you want to call something beautiful, try the HP-67.
Gorgeous styling, good ergonomics, FIFTEEN digit display,
plus a visually pleasing color scheme. If only it had non-volatile memory.

Next comes the HP-34C, a definite looker, but the build quality lets it down.

The HP-41 is also very stylish and serious in its black color scheme.

My final choise is the HP-97, although I think that wonderful keyboard and HUGE display are biasing my judgement.

**vp

PS Not a calculator, but a beauty nevertheless is the HP-85.
Here is a picture of my baby :-)

[Valentin Albillo]

Hi, all:

First of all, Happy New Year 2004 to all of you, this is my very first posting after coming back from my Xmas holidays, good to read your interesting postings again, kinda missing them.

As for the HP-25 'ugliness', have a look at my nearly 30 year old instance of that awesome marvel of a calculator,
IMHO one of the *prettiest*, ultra-solid, super-rugged, most comfortable *handheld* (singular) calculator ever made. It oozes quality from every conceivable pore and made its user as proud of it 30 years back as he is today.

Best regards from V.

[V-PN]

I have also a HP-25, my very first programmable, tested on loaner batteries to be still fully operational, no apparent scratches, every key clicks.

The only thing that might make me to leave it would be a mint 15C...

[bill platt]

Great photos and persuasion, both of you!

regards,

Bill

[Andrés C. Rodríguez (Argentina)]

Count me on the HP-25 admired users list! If you put it in the right perspective for a *calculator*, taking functionality, ergonomics, cost, and technology of its time, it surely deserves a "very close to perfection" diploma.

And its limitations (few registers and program steps, no continuous memory in the regular version, battery duration) are just challenges which help the user to learn more and develop better skills (in my opinion).

I have had skipped the -29C in my evolution from -25 to -41C to -42S. But I think that the -29C should also be taken as an example, because of a somehow richer function set, more memories and programming steps, continuous memory (well, the -25C had it too), subroutine support, some program editing capabilities beyond NOP... while maintaining the general product spot and features mix of the 25.

[V-PN]

the HP-29C and the 19C were jewels, BUT your totally forgot to mention the best of the best of the best:

HP-34C

Now THAT is a calculator. Aaaaaah!

[VPN]

[Andrés C. Rodríguez (Argentina)]

IMHO, the 34C (and all the Spices, for that matter) are not as elegant as the Woodstocks, despite their unquestioned functionality advantage.

From that timeframe, I like the HP41C.

[Michael Meyer]

That's why we're all here. I love the comments!
(Even Valentin makes some good arguments!)

RTN2RPN

[Nenad (Croatia)]

Dr. Mike's signature (RTN2RPN) reminded me of a similar "problem" I would have to face these days, as well as the way he solved it: could you help me in selecting (2 OR 3 numbers) AND (2 letters) related to our hobby (e.g. 728 HP, or 6741 C, or ...)? Thanks

[Dave Shaffer (Arizona)]

41 CX

Says it all. Only the true believers will know what you are talking about!

[David Smith]

Or the more general HP41...

[Paul Brogger]

. . . but my wife had to ask, "Why don't you just splash GEEK all over it?"

She was referring to my latest bit of foolishness related to this hobby.

(I guess I'm not worried enough about being viewed as a geek!)

[Jim Creybohm]

I note all of the requisite GEEK tools; pencils, textbooks, a leather jacket, a pair of binoculars, an Ovation guitar, and a wife who calls you "GEEK".

Soooo similar its scary.....

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[Teni]

When is this baby available and where - can someone help. I happy to purchase on the website too. Thanks