HP Prime - worthy successor to HP-71B ?

[Sukiari]

HP was shooting for the ‘use it in school then chuck it in the bin’ type of market which TI has always had success in. The Prime is not designed as a general purpose calculator for all users, it’s a school implement. Too bad that, unlike TI, HP doesn’t have the textbook publishers printing the step by step how-tos in the math textbooks, or a captive math educator market who recommends the calculator they received training in.

Ironically this product came to market right as graphing calculator apps started being allowed in schools.

I get it, HP looked at the education market and it was the biggest, but I really can’t see the Prime, with its short battery life and teething problems, taking off more than it did. It appears they no longer list the 50G on their calculator site, they’ve gone all in on the Prime. I would feel somewhat bad about this but their fans tried to warn them. Thankfully the old machines will last for a long time still and we have several options for RPN outside HP now too.

The 71b was an extremely powerful computer for its time, in a handheld form factor, with massive expansion, an excellent keyboard, a great screen, you can’t compare it to a school calculator.