HP Prime - worthy successor to HP-71B ?

[Hans Brueggemann]

the prime isn't a successor. it's a calculator made for enthusiasts who think that the prime is a good calculator.
my HP-71B controls GPIB instruments that i have in my home lab. whatever i want to do, the solution is just a handfull of keystrokes away, no matter whether that is long term data collection, statistical analysis, automated instrument calibration, or even transfer the data to a PC. once the data are in the PC, i can use spreadsheet calculations, with lots of memory, screen space, and a computational speed that the prime doesn't have.
that's why i would never buy a prime or trade an HP-71B for it: compared in terms of "numerical power", the prime runs circles around the HP-71B (some folks here may disagree, though...), but is easily outperformed by a PC. don't get me wrong, i'm not trying to compare apples and oranges. what i want to say is: the prime's capabilities are extraordinary, but they cry for solving tasks that go far beyond the capability of its user interface: no real keyboard, and a screen so small, that my aging eyes recognize those tiny numbers just as "ant football". too much power in too small a box.
bottom line: when it comes to maximum i/o control and ease of use in the most efficient desk top real estate: the HP-71B wins. when you have to crack a tougher nut, use a PC. when you need an every-day calculator in your pocket, get an emulator on your smart phone. when you need an outstanding computational toy, well,...