Re: HP's and TI's calculator output rate
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Re: HP's and TI's calculator output rate
Well, I can't say that I know, but here are some possible reasons:
#1 Technology isn't prograssing fast enought to make more powerful cheap
graphing calculators that are fast. For instance, the 3com PalmPilot
runs at 32Khz processing speed! My Ti is about 250 times faster than
that, but the palm pilot is rarely expected to do floating point
functions, and other processing intensive functions. The palm pilot,
however, can run forever on two batteries! We have low-voltage
processors, but there's a trade off between power, time, portability and
price. Thus, HP probably figured the 48 is about as good as people will
buy for their power.
#2 Texas Instruments are selling their calculators to *educators*. If
TI can convince 20 educational institutions to use their ti-85 calc for
calculus, then they suddenly have a market for 3600 calculators every
semester. (given 30 students in each class, and 6 calc 1 classes per
institution per semester) Furthermore, they don't have to be powerful,
just easy to teach, and easy to use. Also, they go ahead and loan them
to teachers so the teachers get used to them, and they build teaching
aids, such as overhead displays and such. HP's calc *is* nice, but It
doesn't seem like they persue their marketing very well, or enough. I
don't remember seeing an hp48 in officemax, or staples. In fact, I
don't know that I've ever seen a printed ad for one, while many
back-to-school ads have a TI in them.
SO, to sum it all up, I dunno. But it is an interesting thought.
NOTICE: I have not had any experience with HP calcs, and my only
experience with HP is with it's computers and it's test equip. If I
have said anything which is not correct, it is because I am ignorant on
the subject, and these are my opinions. I do not want to hear whether
your calc(or anything) is better than mine. A nice, factual, "Actually,
HP does market... for instance..." will do.
Thank you.
-M. Adam Davis
adavis@baladyne.com
Stefan Wolfrum wrote:
>
> Wow, folks!
>
> I'm deeply impressed about this long thread I started.
> Thanks for all your opinions.
>
> BUT...
>
> Originally I wanted to know something like: why does
> one big calculator company think there is a big market,
> lets make lots of calculators for the people while the
> other big company thinks there's no market, let's make
> other things but no calculators?!
>
> Is there a market for electronic pocket calculators or not?
>
> (Regardless of RPN or AOS entry mode...)
>
> Thanks *again* for your upcoming thoughts!
>
> Stefan.
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