HP Prime too complicated

[Joe Horn]

(07-12-2018 01:19 PM)JSBach Wrote:  But why do we need a CAS for these things?
"I am solving an equation" -> paper & pencil

Answer for you: Because Prime's CAS knows more math than Joe Average does, and can do it a lot faster than Joe Average using paper and pencil.

Answer for students: Because learning math by exploring "what if?" scenarios in dozens of similar-but-slightly-different equations takes too long and is tedious when done by hand, but is fast and fun when done using a CAS. Making learning faster and more fun is a Good Thing, especially when it makes what you learned clearer in your mind and last longer, which is what creative exploration always does.

Answer for teachers: Don't present Prime's CAS to your students as a magic black box that does the students' homework for them! They'll learn nothing that way. Make sure that they are using it to explore the concepts being taught... explore creatively, coming up with their own "what if?" scenarios. The best way to understand a concept is to play with it, juggle it, look at it from all angles and FEEL it. That's what Prime's CAS is all about.