Got an HP17bII+ Silver
Message #1 Posted by Walter B on 27 Aug 2008, 7:29 p.m.
Hi all,
Eventually managed to get one for a reasonable price. First impressions: clean design, looking more valuable than a 35s -- all keys give a very nice feedback - key surface is matte, but clearly smoother than on my 35s -- the LCD is basically the same as in my 42S or 27S, but has a better contrast though looking less sharp -- LCD cover is clearly better than the one of my 35s, i.e. less reflective -- leather case gives a very cosy home for any Pioneer, too.
Second impressions: yeah, this is even a bit smaller than a Pioneer. I.e. it covers a slightly smaller area on the table. Dimensions are: length = 145,7 mm ; width = 78,5 mm max. ; height = 17,3 mm max. at top end. -- The display shows one calculator line and one menu line. Both are permanent, so you can't get rid of the menu line to display 2 results like e.g. in 42S. Therefore, there is no default function for the top line of keys. -- Display format is confined to FIX n or ALL, with numbers beyond E+/-12 displayed in SCI n (same n as set above), which is a reasonable choice for a financial calculator. Numbers > 1000 are nicely divided, whereas IMHO the display of small numbers between 1E-4 and 1E-12 is annoying, since you really have to count zeros! Anyway, it's a financial calc. -- It may print via IR as its predecessor. -- Vertical key spacing is wider than on a 35s, and the keys of the lower 4 rows are slightly larger than there. -- Of course, I ran this babe in RPN, but don't understand so far why ENTER isn't assigned to the wide INPUT key then. Well, it's a financial calc anyway ;)
Summing up, this could be a far nicer development platform than the 20b, if accessability would be given, since it allows for a full fledge menu system. To me, the 16x131 dot matrix, however, appears outdated on a calc offered for 100 bucks.
I'll upload some pictures asap.
Edited: 27 Aug 2008, 7:32 p.m.
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