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HP 35s Checksum explained
02-11-2015, 08:18 PM (This post was last modified: 02-11-2015 08:20 PM by MarkHaysHarris777.)
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RE: HP 35s Checksum explained
(02-11-2015 06:55 PM)Tugdual Wrote:  
(02-11-2015 06:39 PM)Tim Wessman Wrote:  I think you meant to say "enabling unauthorized modification to support cheating in exams"...

(which is how all non engineering types view things unfortunately)

Tim, please don't forget that many people but students use calculators. I really think that a HP design with an open firmware is a new concept that has never been done and would find a public of professional users. I am under the impression that HP is now totally and exclusively focusing on the school market.

hi Tim, Tugdual, nice to meet you... I would also add that it is my opinion that testing (like the NCEES exams) will morph, eventually. The engineering student should not be tested on how well they take a test, nor on the level of sophistication of their calculator. The exam should consist of 500 questions (taken from every discipline) selected at random from 300,000 exam questions over a five hour period. The examine continues until 500 questions are answered in less than five hours; end of story (no one takes the same exam, duh). The student should be allowed three calcs on the desk! They should be allowed reference works (standard on-line) and they ought to be able to bring to the desk (1) sheet of A3 or 8.5 x 11 inch paper with *anything* written on it at all! The exam should test their engineering skills, not their test taking skills. In other words, the exam should be soooo open that it precludes cheating of all kinds, including whether the firmware of the calculator is giving them an advantage.

Having said that... one of the things my son and I discuss is the advantage of bringing an HP calculator to the NCEES exam. NOT TO CHEAT... no. To program that sucker for maximum advantage and flexibility while taking the exam. The HP35s has at least (IMHO) a 10 : 1 advantage over the FX115es Plus or the TI 36x Pro for flexibility and power; if programmed correctly, and if organized efficiently.

The WP34s (at this point) would be even better... although its a mute point since the calc is not permitted by NCEES. I do not believe the WP34s would give any greater opportunity for cheating than any of the calcs allowed right now.

As for the student market, I must agree with Tugdual. Its not just HP either. All of the calculator firms are gearing to the student market, because they know that the student will choose in their line of work what they got used to in class. Having said that... the new HP35sII should have CHAIN, ALGEBRAIC (with pretty print), and RPN (let the user choose). It should compete with other student models out there... but it should be configurable for professional use by professional engineers and scientists. I know HP gets this... because that is how their 20b and 30b business calcs are configured NOW. If you haven't noticed the 20b and 30b calcs are powerful scientific calculators in their own right, and they can be set in CHAIN, ALGEBRAIC, or RPN modes (it could just as easily do pretty print, permitting the lcd is all points addressable).

<sigh, enough opinion for now>

Cheers,
Smile
marcus

Kind regards,
marcus
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Messages In This Thread
HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-08-2015, 05:43 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-09-2015, 09:20 AM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Gerald H - 02-09-2015, 12:57 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-09-2015, 04:07 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-09-2015, 04:42 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-09-2015, 10:36 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-10-2015, 01:53 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Paul Dale - 02-14-2015, 08:44 AM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-14-2015, 08:57 AM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-11-2015, 06:55 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - MarkHaysHarris777 - 02-11-2015 08:18 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-11-2015, 08:45 PM
RE: HP 35s Checksum explained - Tugdual - 02-14-2015, 08:38 AM



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