My thoughts about the 12c Platinum from 2 months ago
Message #1 Posted by Gene on 7 May 2003, 9:46 a.m.
1) Color scheme is not what I would have chosen. The yellow shifted functions are very difficult to read on the platinum faceplate. A dark color would make them easier to read. The stainless steel / platinum is ok, but contrast is always important. On the original 12c, the functions stand out well.
2) Adding algebraic is a good idea, but since there is no algebraic hierarchy implemented (which means that 1 + 2 x 3 is calculated to be 9 rather than the correct answer of 7), the 12c platinum needs parentheses to be usable in algebraic mode. Without parentheses, I think algebraic will have a negative effect. Consider how one would solve ... 5 divided by ( 14 - 5 ) ... without parentheses. One has to do the subtraction in the denominator, store the result, then take 5 divided by the memory value. Parentheses are needed, IMO. Personally, I would prefer making sure that algebraic mode took the basic hierarchy we all learned in school into account - multiplication and division before addition and subtraction. Business users know that stuff too. :-)
3) Solving for an interest rate in an annuity problem is MUCH SLOWER than before. Try this: 360 N, 90000 PV, 800 CHS PMT, 0 FV then solve for i. On my normal 12c, this takes an already slow 15 seconds. The platinum takes 34 seconds. That's not good. Perhaps there is a problem with the solution algorithm? The TI BAII Plus solves this instantly and the old HP-10B solves it faster too.
4) General speed. The program execution is about 6x faster (at least, doing nothing other than a counting loop), but some functions now resort to showing "running" briefly in the display when they did not do so previously (particularly LN and the e^x function). This will make users feel the calculator is slower, despite 20 years of technological improvements. I think it needs to be faster.
5) Maybe it's my unit, but the keyboard is flakey. The "g" shift key either makes no click or seems stuck and is hard to push. I hope that gets ironed out.
6) Since some functions were added to the 12c platinum (like the x^2), I wish other functions had been added too. I think my wish list has already been shared with you.
7) Without a manual, I've been trying to play with the new algebraic mode and a couple of things are not clear. If I type 1 + 2 X PMT = I get 2 squared or 4, even if all the necessary inputs needed to solve for the PMT have already been entered. Same is true for the other financial keys on the top row...they seem to work like an X^2 function. Is this intended?
8) More space for programs is good (400 steps, if I have checked it properly), but that will be tough to use without the addition of program labels and subroutines. I rarely used the 99 steps in the original 12c because programming was difficult without these types of programming features. 400 steps may be overkill with the built in feature set. Moving the functions around will cause users who type in programs from the original 12c to become confused (as these may be "novice" users) because the keycodes shown will be different.
Additional Notes:
I have tried running some programs and have run across something I don't understand. The HP-12c Platinum runs programs differently than the original 12c.
Program in RPN mode:
1
+
GTO 000
Which should take the number shown in the display and add 1 to it, return to the beginning of program memory and stop. That is what happens in my non-Platinum 12c.
However, on the 12c Platinum, when I run this program, the calculator executes the steps AND TURNS ITSELF OFF. To see the result, I have to press the ON key. Is this what is intended? GTO 00 on the original 12c behaves differently than GTO 000 on the 12c Platinum. I think it should work like it does on the original 12c.
And.....---------------------------------
This behavior also shows up when a program stops with R/S.
Program in RPN mode:
1
R/S
2
When executed after typing GTO 000, the program should stop with a 1 in the display.
It does not do this. It turns off. When turned back on, a 1 is showing in the display. The program counter has been reset to 000, when it should still be placed at the R/S function.
This behavior is also different from my old 12c at my desk.
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