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From: bill@hp-pcd.UUCP (bill)
Newsgroups: net.micro.hp
Subject: Re: Has HP gone non-rpn on calculators?
Message-ID: <15100010@hpcvlo.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Jul-86 13:40:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpcvlo.15100010
Posted: Tue Jul 29 13:40:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Aug-86 04:34:21 EDT
References: <1014@mhuxt.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Corvallis, OR
Lines: 16
Nf-ID: #R:mhuxt:-101400:hpcvlo:15100010:000:847
Nf-From: hpcvlo!bill    Jul 29 09:40:00 1986


HP is calling the 18C "The Business Consultant" -- it's aimed primarily at
business people, who don't particularly care whether they use algebraic or
RPN, as long as they can punch in numbers and get results.  I think the
consensus was that the majority of these users are probably already very
familiar with algebraic calculators, and really aren't interested in
learning RPN; what they do want is a machine that makes it simple to
calculate mortgage payments, rates of return, and sales forecasts.
The 18C addresses custom, complex problems by letting the user enter
his own formulas in symbolic (alphanumeric) form, then automatically
provides "menu" keys to allow the user to twiddle the variables.
(Sort of like the "pmt", "i", "n", "pv", and "fv" keys on the 
previous HP financial calculators, only customizable.)

bill frolik
hp-pcd!bill