About DM32

[rprosperi]

Ok, ok, I give!!!!! A little.

Sure, the HP packaging says all that, but by the time the 32SII was introduced, many far superior machines (28C, 28S, 42S, 48SX) had been for sale for some time, in some cases for years, most of which included the mentioned additional features.

The 32Sii came out (Mar '91) exactly when calculator usage was exploding in schools, and despite the packaging, etc. I've always been convinced the real target was schools, though too early for core positioning it that way. At the time, I worked at Sharp in the group that did calculators and PDA's, etc. and I can assure you it was carried by all the educational distributors (who typically are ahead of the manufacturers about demand) and sold in those markets (often criticized as "too pricey").

Most Engineers I knew at the time would be getting the highest end machines available, not a mid-range, but it surely is true that some folks have budget constraints, more modest needs, etc. I never considered getting a lower end machine for a more readable LCD - a point I've overlooked - but I suspect most buyers were not as well-informed.

And I agree about the UI - HP un-buried the well thought-out menu structure of the 32S to deliberately make the 32Sii look more fuller featured (this after complaints from their sales guys that competitor's models "looked more powerful and a better value" due to their busier keyboard designs). With the philosophy of all Fns being directly accessible, there's simply no room left on the keyboard, though of course some of those mentioned are simply over-loading existing Fn labels for Complex use.

Anyhow, I think the points still stand - If you need high power, then buy a high-powered (and not coincidentally more expensive) model. It does not seem confusing to me, nor a mistake. HP was doing this to make money, the fact that we all became fan boys is a (nice) side-effect, and leads to endless "why didn't they also include this or that?" discussions, even 30+ years later...