Re: Multiple business model RPN calculators and not many scientific ones? Message #5 Posted by Martin Pinckney on 21 Apr 2010, 10:14 a.m., in response to message #1 by ravwalia
I find myself puzzled over the HP calculator division's direction. Then sometimes I wonder if they just stick a finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing.
When I look at the 48/49/50 and 38/39/40 series, it looks like they decided to speed up and modernize the 48G and 38G models, so since TI has been so successful, they made the new HP's look like TI's. That didn't go over so well, so we got the 50g, which looks more like an HP, and seems to be doing well. So expect HP to leave well enough alone in that area.
Then the 33s got a "modern" look, which also got mixed reviews. I think the 35s had two reasons for it's development: 1) As a special commemorative model with a retro look to generate short-term sales, and 2) as test model to gauge the market for a more traditional HP-looking scientific. What did HP learn?
The rubber-key financials (10bii and 17bii+) didn't sell so well (witness Walmart dumping 10bii's at $2 each), so we got the new 10bii and silver 17bii+.
Now to the 20b and 30b. Not sure why HP brought these out, given the continued success of the 12c, and the acceptance of the newer 10bii and silver 17bii+. However, the fact that HP did bring them to market, IMO is the best news in a while, because they are completely new calcs, and because the architecture lends itself to the development of a whole line similar to the Pioneer concept.
We'll just have to wait and see.
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