Hp 33s Scientific Calculator

• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 2 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 4 stars

  A Retrograde Step

  by Tompsk on May 16, 2006

  Pros: RPN, (no other discernable pros)

  Cons: Ridiculous layout, poor ergonomics, unreliable buttons.

  Summary: Like one of the previous writers, I bought two of these despite the fact that I didn't like the ergonomics/layout. After all, since HP got rid of the ...

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  Summary: Like one of the previous writers, I bought two of these despite the fact that I didn't like the ergonomics/layout. After all, since HP got rid of the HP32 what choice did I have if I wanted RPN?
  
  Basically the chevron shaped keyboard is irritating and unnecessary in a world where we have been conditioned to use perfectly functional keypads that generally follow horizontal lines. That said, it's a mild nit and you can get used to it. Ergonomically the biggest problem is the poor size and location of the enter key. It looks like a design afterthought.
  
  The real pain on this calculator though is the pitiful quality. I have ended up too many times having to recalculate because I was concerned that yet again, incorrect data was inputted because a button "clicked" but didn't close. It means that you can't count on the results of this calculator without watching everything closely.
  
  The message to HP from at least this user is... Given that it is likely that a major part of your customer-base is built up of the serious number-cruncher types like engineers and scientists, and the fact that they are likely to be looking for a tool rather than a fashion accessory, please focus less on your industrial designers' input and more on your engineers and ergonomists when designing the next one. If this was an attempt to attract students with "hip and cool" styling, how many of them do you think are going to stick with HP if they flunk exams because of an intermittent enter key???
  
  Seems to me a redesign would be desirable, or failing that, consider bringing back the HP32SII or another of its predecessors...

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• 7 stars

  great buy, has RPN, bad layout

  by on July 8, 2004

  Pros: If you've had an HP, this is excellent, RPN rules

  Cons: bad location on the enter button

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