HP-Prime safe to buy?

[grsbanks]

The HP Prime is a great machine. If you do buy one, I would advise you to install the connectivity kit and update to the latest firmware version (2016-08-29 10637) before you start playing with it.

I'm not aware of any problems with accuracy or stability in this firmware version other than the few points that have been raised in this section of the forum. There are always work-arounds for them and to be honest, depending on what your primary use of the machine will be, the likelihood that you'll come up against those problems is pretty slim.

The implementation of RPN on this machine is a bit of a bugbear for me personally. You have two main working views on the device: Home and CAS. RPN is only implemented in the Home view, its history is separate from the algebraic Home screen and you can't program in RPL. It is pretty limited. If that's a deal breaker for you then the Prime might not be the machine for you. If I were you I'd run a search on your favourite search engine for the "HP Prime Virtual Calculator", which will enable you to try it out and see if you get on with it. The only thing you won't see/feel with that is the keyboard action, which is excellent IMO. Every bit as good as the vintage machines and far better than the HP 50g, for example.