Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!sun-barr!apple!agate!ucbvax!hplabs!otter!hpcpbla!mark
From: mark@hpcpbla.HP.COM (Mark Simms)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: Handheld for school use..?
Message-ID: <1070003@hpcpbla.HP.COM>
Date: 20 Nov 89 14:33:41 GMT
References: <3154@harrier.ukc.ac.uk>
Organization: HP Computer Peripherals Bristol, UK
Lines: 33

I don't know what the current state of the education system is, but
the single most important thing is to ensure that the calculator can
be used on all the courses that she intends to take.  Back in the dim
dark days when I was doing O-levels, you were not allowed to use a
programmable calculator or one with a permanent memory in any exam.
Things may have changed, but check.

If she is really keen, then get her the best that you can afford for
the subjects she is intending to do.  It will encourage her, and maybe
give her a bit of status in school.  Programmability is a good feature
to have even if she never uses it, but don't sacrifice a rich set of
functions or functions that are tailored to the subjects she wants to
do.

If you want a recommendation for a specific product, I would consider
the HP-42 to be a great machine for scientific and engineering
disciplines.  Alternatively, the HP-27 has a mixture of business and
scientific functions and the HP-17 is a business only calculator.

Mark Simms

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Please note that all opinions expressed are my own and are not
intended to be an official statement by Hewlett-Packard Company.  Note
also that I have no connection with Hewlett-Packard's calculator
business other than as a user of their products.
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Name:         Mark Simms
Position:     Software Development Engineer
Organisation: Hewlett-Packard Computer Peripherals Division
Email US:     mark%hpcpbla@hplb.hpl.hp.com
      UK:     mark%hpcpbla@hplb.hp.co.uk
Address:      Filton Road, Bristol BS12 6QZ, United Kingdom