What would your ideal HP calc look like now?

[walter b]

(03-23-2014 09:01 AM)Raymond Del Tondo Wrote:  

(03-23-2014 08:25 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  WP 34S...The (currently) ultimate RPN calculator.

Sorry, but not for me. There are many other (HP) calcs which come into mind earlier: 15C, 32S, 32SII, 41, 42S, 17BII, 17BIIsilver. All of them are still available (more or less) through collector channels like eBay...the 17BIIsilver can still be bought from normal HP distributors.

Sorry, Raimund, you may not been aware of the task being to name scientific/engineering calculators. Looking at your (then reduced) list, I wonder in what aspects an HP-15C, -32S, or -32SII are better than a WP 34S. IMHO the latter runs circles around those oldies in all aspects, though I admit being slightly biased in that matter.

Back to the original question: My personal dream calculator would be one featuring

• RPN for obvious reasons,
• the function set of the WP 34S (or a little bit more),
• a sturdy, reliable keyboard with tactle feedback and durable keys (like the one of e.g. an HP-67, IIRC),
• at least the display resolution of the HP-42S (primarily for allowing sofkeys),
• six keys more than the HP-42S (for softkeys not overwriting regular functions),
• a standard communication interface (like USB) or a standard medium for data exchange (like SD) with a PC (so I may use a PC for program editing if I want to),
• a reasonable amount of user-accessible memory for data and programs,
• flash memory for on-device backup, library storage, etc.,
• a power consumption like a Voyager or a Pioneer,
• all that within the size of a Pioneer and as properly packed.
  

At the bottom line, that's just a little bit more than an HP-41Cx, an HP-42S, or a WP 34S could offer (for different reasons). I don't see a pressing need for on-device graphics - that can be done better on a PC (based on calculator data if a standard format can be supported). Also you may note I didn't state any speed requirements - I simply presume sufficient speed for solving real world problems is for granted nowadays. No bells and whistles like color screens, stereo output, shiny surfaces, or backlighting - just solid quality. Period.

Just my 20m€ based on 3.5 decades of professional work in science and various industries.

d:-)