HP50G not so good news?

[rkf]

Citing this post:

Quote:From the HP team:

“Since 1968, HP calculators have been synonymous with professional engineering, science and business. Professionals in all these fields rely on HP to deliver the accurate and reliable tools their jobs demand. In order to meet the ongoing needs of our customers, HP has introduced the cutting-edge HP Prime Graphing Calculator platform and will be ending manufacturing of the HP 50g Graphing Calculator in 2015.

While the HP 50g Graphing Calculator and its predecessors have been successful hardware platforms, it is the close partnership with our user community that has transformed them into powerful and robust mathematical tools. By continuing to partner with the professional and development communities, the HP Prime platform will apply many new technical features including a full-color interface, multi-touch display and app-based interface to define the new standard for professionals.”

Any confirmation or dementi?

[Thomas Radtke]

Who is HP team?

[KlaasKuperus]

(03-05-2015 08:04 AM)Thomas Radtke Wrote:  Who is HP team?

Hi Thomas,

In this case: the EMEA calculator management.

[toml_12953]

(03-05-2015 07:39 AM)rkf Wrote:  Citing this post:

From the HP team:

“Since 1968, HP calculators have been synonymous with professional engineering, science and business. Professionals in all these fields rely on HP to deliver the accurate and reliable tools their jobs demand. In order to meet the ongoing needs of our customers, HP has introduced the cutting-edge HP Prime Graphing Calculator platform and will be ending manufacturing of the HP 50g Graphing Calculator in 2015.

As nice a machine as the Prime is, it's going to take a lot of work to make it the professional tool the 50g is. I don't think HP can focus on both the student user and the professional user with a single machine and fully meet the needs of both. IMHO. I hope I'm wrong, though!

Tom L

[Jlouis]

(03-05-2015 07:39 AM)rkf Wrote:  Citing this post:

Quote:From the HP team:

“Since 1968, HP calculators have been synonymous with professional engineering, science and business. Professionals in all these fields rely on HP to deliver the accurate and reliable tools their jobs demand. In order to meet the ongoing needs of our customers, HP has introduced the cutting-edge HP Prime Graphing Calculator platform and will be ending manufacturing of the HP 50g Graphing Calculator in 2015.

While the HP 50g Graphing Calculator and its predecessors have been successful hardware platforms, it is the close partnership with our user community that has transformed them into powerful and robust mathematical tools. By continuing to partner with the professional and development communities, the HP Prime platform will apply many new technical features including a full-color interface, multi-touch display and app-based interface to define the new standard for professionals.”

Any confirmation or dementi?

Is it time to buy a spare?

What do you think guys?

[John Galt]

(03-05-2015 07:39 AM)rkf Wrote:  Any confirmation or dementi?

Why not ask on that site?

http://forum.hp-prime.de/discussions

Whatever "HP Team" is supposed to be, its source is not provided.

If it is true, it's not surprising. The 50g is based on a decades-old platform, yet a quite capable and proven one.

I'll buy a Prime when it enjoys battery life equivalent to the 50g. Until then I patiently await the WP 43S, which is far more likely to meet that goal.

[Thomas Radtke]

(03-05-2015 09:59 AM)KlaasKuperus Wrote:  Hi Thomas,

In this case: the EMEA calculator management.

Ok, thanks Klaas. This is really bad news for all us RPL fans :-(.

[Marcio]

(03-05-2015 03:21 PM)toml_12953 Wrote:  

(03-05-2015 07:39 AM)rkf Wrote:  Citing this post:

From the HP team:

“Since 1968, HP calculators have been synonymous with professional engineering, science and business. Professionals in all these fields rely on HP to deliver the accurate and reliable tools their jobs demand. In order to meet the ongoing needs of our customers, HP has introduced the cutting-edge HP Prime Graphing Calculator platform and will be ending manufacturing of the HP 50g Graphing Calculator in 2015.

As nice a machine as the Prime is, it's going to take a lot of work to make it the professional tool the 50g is. I don't think HP can focus on both the student user and the professional user with a single machine and fully meet the needs of both. IMHO. I hope I'm wrong, though!

Tom L

Well, it strongly depends on what you as a professional want from the calculator.

[Xorand]

I put the phrase "will be ending manufacturing of the HP 50g Graphing Calculator in 2015" in quotes and ran it through Google. The only hit that came up was the hp-prime.de site. I would expect an original source to pop up in results if it were copied and pasted from, say, HP's site.

[Thomas_Sch]

I'm not shure, how officially and serious the german site http://hp-prime.de/ is.
(For example please have a look at http://hp-prime.de/de/category/6-downloads, where more or less outdated manuals and software/ firmware are mentioned.)

A link to a site from HP.com would be useful.

[Claudio L.]

(03-05-2015 07:18 PM)Thomas_Sch Wrote:  I'm not shure, how officially and serious...

Well, the silence from HP insiders in this forum can be interpreted two ways:
a) This was information that leaked accidentally and nobody is authorized to talk on the subject yet,
or
b) they are all thinking "huh? where that come from?" just like the rest of us.

In any case, the 50g will take many years to vanish completely, and will remain a treasured item by engineers, surveyors and other professionals for years, like the 48 series is now.

Claudio

[KlaasKuperus]

(03-05-2015 07:18 PM)Thomas_Sch Wrote:  I'm not shure, how officially and serious the german site http://hp-prime.de/ is.
(For example please have a look at http://hp-prime.de/de/category/6-downloads, where more or less outdated manuals and software/ firmware are mentioned.)

A link to a site from HP.com would be useful.

Hi Thomas,

You know very well who is behind this website. And as my signature also says, I am PM for HP calculators for MORAVIA, one of the larger HP calculator distris. This news was brought to me by Helene Pelloux, the EMEA business manager for calcs in HP. Enough information?

About the downloads: thanks for pointing this out, that is indeed outdated information and I will change it. In general, the hp-prime.com website is very updated and has lots more information than some other (official) websites...

[Thomas_Sch]

(03-06-2015 07:43 AM)KlaasKuperus Wrote:  ... About the downloads: thanks for pointing this out, that is indeed outdated information and I will change it.

Why not simply setting links to the original sites from HP?
http://ftp.ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/Prime/
They will always be up to date.

Thera are also many games for download at http://hp-prime.de/de/category/6-downloads.
Hopefully you have the permission from the authors.
If the author is updating his programs, e.g. due to firmware changes, how to you get the new versions (and their permission)?
Im my opinion it will also be better, to place only links.

[rprosperi]

(03-06-2015 07:43 AM)KlaasKuperus Wrote:  About the downloads: thanks for pointing this out, that is indeed outdated information and I will change it. In general, the hp-prime.com website is very updated and has lots more information than some other (official) websites...

Indeed there are quite a few documents/tutorials I haven't seen anywhere else before, thanks for nicely pointing this out. A small suggestion that would make it (IMHO) much more useful is to date the downloads. This can help your team with issues such as noted above plus also helps us users more easily see "what's new", and would therefore come back to look more often.

[rprosperi]

(03-06-2015 09:23 AM)Thomas_Sch Wrote:  Why not simply setting links to the original sites from HP?
http://ftp.ftp.hp.com/pub/calculators/Prime/
They will always be up to date.

I think many/most "normal" people, which by definition excludes us, are relatively confused when seeing an FTP directory listing with links. It is certainly preferred by us, but can cause issues with folks that are used to being spoon-fed with pretty webpages, etc.

Also, on occaision (when updates are coming out, being pulled back, etc.) this page is literally empty of links, something that would be a big issue for consumers, but obvious in meaning to us.

Just an opinion.

[Tim Wessman]

(03-05-2015 08:56 PM)Claudio L. Wrote:  Well, the silence from HP insiders in this forum can be interpreted two ways:
a) This was information that leaked accidentally and nobody is authorized to talk on the subject yet,
or
b) they are all thinking "huh? where that come from?" just like the rest of us.

I'll vote for option c.

c) not much else to say about it really


The big question as has been pointed out vaguely already is "what constitutes a professional". Unfortunately, that definition is completely different depending on what type of "professional" one is. For example, for one person the serial port might be the most important part of the device. While for a majority of others they never could care once about having it.

Marketing speak however is, and will always be, marketing speak. At least there is one "constant" in the universe that probably will never change... :-|

[spinkham]

(03-06-2015 04:44 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  I'll vote for option c.

c) not much else to say about it really

You were supposed to say "b". ;-(

Ah well, time to go buy a spare I guess. Good news is they are selling for near record lows.

[Claudio L.]

(03-06-2015 04:44 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  The big question as has been pointed out vaguely already is "what constitutes a professional". Unfortunately, that definition is completely different depending on what type of "professional" one is. For example, for one person the serial port might be the most important part of the device. While for a majority of others they never could care once about having it.

Marketing speak however is, and will always be, marketing speak. At least there is one "constant" in the universe that probably will never change... :-|

Hello Tim,
How about the following?
During the next hardware revision of the Prime, expose some additional pads on the PCB for SD/MMC controller, and perhaps the second UART (there's one exposed from pictures I've seen out there, though it would be better on one side of the board), and perhaps a few unused GPIO. Just adding a few tracks to the PCB shouldn't add any cost, but would allow other people ("professionals"?) to mod the calculator, adding an SD card, or an extra serial port.
Since this requires unsanctioned hardware mods and firmware replacement, it shouldn't invalidate its approval for exams (even with a modded calc, the HP firmware won't use it, so they can't use it for cheating).
This way, for nearly zero cost per unit to HP, some groups could modify and repurpose the calculator to be more adapted to their needs. Surveyors need the SD card to store data, electrical engineers use the serial port more often, I'm a structural engineer and like to save my work on an SD card, so if the calc gets fried, I can pull the card and get my data.

Just an idea.

Claudio

[spinkham]

If we're requesting mods, I'd settle for just being able to read the darn keyboard. Still seems to be the #1 complaint in amazon reviews, and I think it's a stretch to call any device "professional" that many people have a hard time reading..

[Benoit Maag]

Tim,

The HP-35s is out of stock again on hp.com/calculators
With the HP-50g being discontinued, this really feels like the end of an era

So indeed, what is left for 'professionals'?

It seems to me that what a 'generic professional' wants, is a pocket machine that consumes little power, turns on immediately, is 100% reliable, and can easily be customized for his most common needs.

No machine fits that need today - the Hp-50g is close enough but hard to use - a cell phone with a calculator app is not really customizable (though nothing could stop it from being so), and a PC does not fit in your pocket... it feels like there is indeed an unfulfilled need on the market. Is that your next move? Or will the opportunity be lost? Or maybe I am just hallucinating, regretting the good old cretaceous times...

(03-06-2015 04:44 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  

(03-05-2015 08:56 PM)Claudio L. Wrote:  Well, the silence from HP insiders in this forum can be interpreted two ways:
a) This was information that leaked accidentally and nobody is authorized to talk on the subject yet,
or
b) they are all thinking "huh? where that come from?" just like the rest of us.

I'll vote for option c.

c) not much else to say about it really


The big question as has been pointed out vaguely already is "what constitutes a professional". Unfortunately, that definition is completely different depending on what type of "professional" one is. For example, for one person the serial port might be the most important part of the device. While for a majority of others they never could care once about having it.

Marketing speak however is, and will always be, marketing speak. At least there is one "constant" in the universe that probably will never change... :-|