What would you like to see in a future HP Prime II? (HP Prime², HP Prime 2X)

[John Keith]

(06-03-2023 10:08 AM)jonmoore Wrote:  Back to the Prime, I really hope that Moravia carries on developing the OS. Unlike Casio, HP always stuck powerful processing capabilities in the Prime and the G2 processor will keep the Prime trucking for a few years yet. Plus the Prime is the only calculator that breaks free from its primary marketing segment, namely education. Even though it has a weak RPN capability, it's far more interactive than using the Nspire or the ClassPad. And much as the bling design is aimed at students, it looks less like a student calculator than the other options.

Unfortunately the decisions that HP made to appease standardized testing boards (locked firmware, the wall between Home and CAS) make the Prime unattractive to enthusiasts or professional users. The Prime is more powerful than its Casio and TI competitors but the restrictions essentially relegate the Prime to being a student calculator.

If Moravia, etc. wanted to produce an "enthusiast-friendly" version, it could be done with minimal hardware changes- just a different bezel color and the elimination of the "test mode" LEDs. Such a calculator could be marketed as the "Prime Pro" and would have unlocked firmware and integrated CAS, and the hardware changes would allow teachers to easily distinguish it from the standard student model.

I am not holding my breath in expectation of such a product but I would certainly purchase one if available.