HP Prime: The Logic of Purchasing

[dbbotkin]

(04-02-2015 07:18 AM)Joe Horn Wrote:  At least that's certainly true of the 48 and 50, which (unlike the 12C) are very complicated graphing calculators, like Prime.

Well, the 12C has a history of bugs and development problems too. While it doesn't 'graph', it nonetheless must calculate financial information accurately for every point on a virtual graph. Dating back to its predecessors, the HP85 and the HP70 (my first financial calculator), there were problems with rate-of-return calculations mostly with bonds, but also with certain values in the computations. I don't recall the details, but there were similar "how can this be?" lamentation from users.

My point is that every new technology will have problems in its early implementations and users must decide whether the risk is outweighed by the reward. In the case of the 'traders', being able to calculate the value of a bond almost instantly when others were relying on published data or interpolating from tables, put money in their pockets.

The 12C is more than just a finished-product; it is ancient history in the world of investments. Although one could fill a book with important financial calculations that the 12C doesn't do, it is an icon because what it does, it does perfectly. (OK, I'm a 12C fanboy; get over it.)

The 12C was the iPod of calculators over 30 years ago and still serves the needs of today. Why? Because of an intuitive user-interface and keeping the complexity of the calculations out of the user's way.

The future of the Prime is unknown, but the power is there to become an icon as well, but it will be uphill most of the way. The target market is different: the 12C was built by 'old HP' for student and graduate MBA's (and there have been a lot of them); whereas 'new HP' seems to be confused even as to what the market for Prime should be.