Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Functional Comparison between HP Prime, HP-50g and TI NSpire CX CAS.
10,308 views
Skip to first unread message
Michael Shea
Oct 26, 2013, 6:18:05 AM10/26/13
to
I am a HP Calculator fan/user from way back. Well not all the way, but I have used the 32s, 42s (great calc) and still use the 48sx. I also have a TI-89 I got for free from TI when I was teaching math. I go back and forth between the two, liking some features of both. I have been disappointed in recent years with HP calculators lack of innovation and how the just stood by and let TI completely dominate the education market.
I have been thinking about getting the 50g for some time, but when my High School aged son needed a calculator, I got him the latest TI NSpire CX, mainly because teachers and textbooks tend to use TI products nowadays. After playing with my son's NSpire I realized I needed a calculator with a back-lit color screen. My old eyes really have problems with both my 48sx and TI-89 displays, and the 50g does not look much better.
I was literally just getting ready to buy an NSpire CAS when I found out about the Prime. I really like the physical layout and lot better than the TI. Much cleaner and I have always like HP mechanical feedback keys. From the YouTube videos I have seen, the graphing engine looks superb on the Prime.
I have one concern about buying the Prime right now. The information I have been able to find online about the functional suite is limited. Can anyone give me a brief comparison of things like the number of built-in functions, comparison of the CAS system etc. between the three calculators mentioned. If the Prime has a trimmed down function library, is HP planning a more professional version in the future.
Thanks for you help.
I have been thinking about getting the 50g for some time, but when my High School aged son needed a calculator, I got him the latest TI NSpire CX, mainly because teachers and textbooks tend to use TI products nowadays. After playing with my son's NSpire I realized I needed a calculator with a back-lit color screen. My old eyes really have problems with both my 48sx and TI-89 displays, and the 50g does not look much better.
I was literally just getting ready to buy an NSpire CAS when I found out about the Prime. I really like the physical layout and lot better than the TI. Much cleaner and I have always like HP mechanical feedback keys. From the YouTube videos I have seen, the graphing engine looks superb on the Prime.
I have one concern about buying the Prime right now. The information I have been able to find online about the functional suite is limited. Can anyone give me a brief comparison of things like the number of built-in functions, comparison of the CAS system etc. between the three calculators mentioned. If the Prime has a trimmed down function library, is HP planning a more professional version in the future.
Thanks for you help.
Erwin Ried
Oct 26, 2013, 11:02:24 AM10/26/13
to
It is not trimmed down, check if you miss some function looking at the user guide: http://www.thecalculatorstore.com/WebRoot/StoreES3/Shops/eb9376/5196/A4C1/5ECE/83AE/85A9/AC10/1417/E23B/User_Guide_EN.pdf
PS: Haven't seen a full comparison. What the Prime lacks, is mainly what a newcomer hates from the 50g, but an old timer loves from the 50g
PS: Haven't seen a full comparison. What the Prime lacks, is mainly what a newcomer hates from the 50g, but an old timer loves from the 50g
rob...@gmail.com
Oct 27, 2013, 11:47:30 AM10/27/13
to
I have a freshman son in pre-calc who uses a TI84 as prescribed by the school. I have been using my Prime to check his homework (he does not need the help, I just love solving the problems myself). The Prime was designed to take education to the nest level and directly competes with the Nspire CAS model. The Prime is the first calculator I have used that graphing is easy and fun. Being a 48 user you will have to open your mind to the new interface. The touch screen allows easy navigation of graphics with zero lag. The Prime is capable of solving anything the 48/50 can... Complex number matix algebra, equation solver, etc. Even has RPN mode for number crunching. Most of the criticism of the Prime is from a user programming point of view it is not reverse compatible with 48/50 power user programs. But it is highly programmable and we are seeing a library of user created apps available to download. My vote... Get the Prime... You will be amazed by this machine. Your son/daughter will also be impressed compared with the Nspire.
toro...@gmail.com
Jun 29, 2014, 2:39:10 AM6/29/14
to
i know that you wrote this a long time ago...but i have some comparison point talking about programing for you .....
the Ti.nspire cx cas has only two oficial prgraming languages TI basic and Lua(wich is the most powerfull of the oficial ones because ti basic doesn let you plot)...but since hackers realized that there is a hole in its programing, now its posible to write code also in C,C++ and Assembly developmen thanks to Ndless SKD...
in the other hand, the Prime has just one language...i dont remember the name, but is as powerfull as the Lua nspire language....another point is that has no reason to have a color display, because it cannot plot 3d functions, it can only plot 3d just if you wrote a program that let you plot an espeific functions. the videos where you see it ploting 3d are a scam, as you see here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0I191piBtZ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uDn-aDlkuwM
here is some other tecnical stuf
http://www.omnimaga.org/general-calculator-help/might-seem-cliche-but-nspire-cx-cas-vs-hp-prime/
i own a TI nspire CX CAS...and i am happy because if i dont know how to write something in one language, i wrote it in another one.
hope i was helpfull
the Ti.nspire cx cas has only two oficial prgraming languages TI basic and Lua(wich is the most powerfull of the oficial ones because ti basic doesn let you plot)...but since hackers realized that there is a hole in its programing, now its posible to write code also in C,C++ and Assembly developmen thanks to Ndless SKD...
in the other hand, the Prime has just one language...i dont remember the name, but is as powerfull as the Lua nspire language....another point is that has no reason to have a color display, because it cannot plot 3d functions, it can only plot 3d just if you wrote a program that let you plot an espeific functions. the videos where you see it ploting 3d are a scam, as you see here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0I191piBtZ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uDn-aDlkuwM
here is some other tecnical stuf
http://www.omnimaga.org/general-calculator-help/might-seem-cliche-but-nspire-cx-cas-vs-hp-prime/
i own a TI nspire CX CAS...and i am happy because if i dont know how to write something in one language, i wrote it in another one.
hope i was helpfull
jameslu...@gmail.com
Jun 30, 2014, 2:43:25 PM6/30/14
to
On Saturday, June 28, 2014 11:39:10 PM UTC-7, toro...@gmail.com wrote:
>another point is that has no reason to have a color display, because it cannot plot 3d functions, it can only plot 3d just if you wrote a program that let you plot an espeific functions.
Excellent point, sir! My cell phone can't plot 3d functions either but it has a color display. So does the Agilent DSK0X 3014A oscilloscope on my workbench which can't plot 3d functions either. For that matter, so do all my computers, both Windows and Linux based. Too bad the all have color displays when they don't need them.
>another point is that has no reason to have a color display, because it cannot plot 3d functions, it can only plot 3d just if you wrote a program that let you plot an espeific functions.
And we all know the Prime has had its firmware greatly improved already with more likely in the future, with massive flash and RAM storage for such as well as user loadable software, just as my computers do. So a variety of 3d plotting software has already become available and undoubtedly better ones will be written.
Of course, my dog doesn't plot 3d functions either. Is that why dogs don't have color vision?
mlui...@gmail.com
Jul 3, 2014, 9:43:30 AM7/3/14
to
Hi All!
I have a TI Nspire CX CAS, an HP Prime and a Casio Class Pad II (fx_cp400) and I could compare and choose the best one for my purpose (electrical engineering).
TI Nspire is very intuitive and easy to use, good and organized menus, very good color display, small but nice touchpad and alpha keys separated. If you are used to work with symbolic math the alpha keys make your life too much easier and the commands is like a PC, for example, you can select something and press Ctrl C and Ctrl V and so on, there is also a very good PC application where you can produce docs with equations, images and so on and you dont need to be an expert to create and transfer to your machine, the same happens with the OS update. It's easy to create functions or programs even directly on the machine or with the PC application and about math function, there are everthing I need and many programs available.
HP Prime has a beautiful design, very good touch color display and almost the same math functions as TI Nspire CAS but it's not so easy to work like Nspire and even the good keyboard, work with alpha char need much more pressed keys. HP keeps the same dificult to understand and find some functions, at least for begginers. There are some organized menus but is't not so logical as Nspire and you need to choose if you want to work as a normal calculator or a CAS calculator (there are differences) and there is not a good program to create docs and/or programas and functions, the pC software is very limited and there are only a few programs available(more bacause it's a new product).
Another option is Casio Class Pad II, it's a good option to consider. It's a powerful machine with a large touch color display where you can work in vertical or horizontal mode if you need more display area. It's the only calculator you have Fourier Transform, Laplace, Dirac and others advanced math functions and it's native, you don't need programs. There are some very organized menus, it's very easy to use and it's a new way to work, you have only a few keys and all you need are showed on display in a very easy way to understand and select with a small pen. As HP Prime, there is not a good PC software and it's not so simple to create docs, functions or programs and in my oppinion, it's too large to carry with you and particularly, I don't like to work with a pen like an old smartphone, it's become things a little slow, but of course, it's a time question.
After evaluate these models my conclusion is, you can do the same thing with any one and the most important difference is how you are used and like to work, in my case I was not used with HP, TI or Casio but in my oppinion (note, in my oppinion!) TI Nspire CX CAS is the best option.
Thank you.
I have a TI Nspire CX CAS, an HP Prime and a Casio Class Pad II (fx_cp400) and I could compare and choose the best one for my purpose (electrical engineering).
TI Nspire is very intuitive and easy to use, good and organized menus, very good color display, small but nice touchpad and alpha keys separated. If you are used to work with symbolic math the alpha keys make your life too much easier and the commands is like a PC, for example, you can select something and press Ctrl C and Ctrl V and so on, there is also a very good PC application where you can produce docs with equations, images and so on and you dont need to be an expert to create and transfer to your machine, the same happens with the OS update. It's easy to create functions or programs even directly on the machine or with the PC application and about math function, there are everthing I need and many programs available.
HP Prime has a beautiful design, very good touch color display and almost the same math functions as TI Nspire CAS but it's not so easy to work like Nspire and even the good keyboard, work with alpha char need much more pressed keys. HP keeps the same dificult to understand and find some functions, at least for begginers. There are some organized menus but is't not so logical as Nspire and you need to choose if you want to work as a normal calculator or a CAS calculator (there are differences) and there is not a good program to create docs and/or programas and functions, the pC software is very limited and there are only a few programs available(more bacause it's a new product).
Another option is Casio Class Pad II, it's a good option to consider. It's a powerful machine with a large touch color display where you can work in vertical or horizontal mode if you need more display area. It's the only calculator you have Fourier Transform, Laplace, Dirac and others advanced math functions and it's native, you don't need programs. There are some very organized menus, it's very easy to use and it's a new way to work, you have only a few keys and all you need are showed on display in a very easy way to understand and select with a small pen. As HP Prime, there is not a good PC software and it's not so simple to create docs, functions or programs and in my oppinion, it's too large to carry with you and particularly, I don't like to work with a pen like an old smartphone, it's become things a little slow, but of course, it's a time question.
After evaluate these models my conclusion is, you can do the same thing with any one and the most important difference is how you are used and like to work, in my case I was not used with HP, TI or Casio but in my oppinion (note, in my oppinion!) TI Nspire CX CAS is the best option.
Thank you.
Joe Horn
Jul 4, 2014, 6:22:32 PM7/4/14
to
> Another option is Casio Class Pad II ... It's the only calculator you have Fourier Transform, Laplace, Dirac ...
The HP Prime also has all three of those.
> ... As HP Prime ... I don't like to work with a pen like an old smartphone....
A stylus is not needed with the Prime. In fact, its touchscreen works better with a fingertip than with a stylus.
-Joe-
The HP Prime also has all three of those.
> ... As HP Prime ... I don't like to work with a pen like an old smartphone....
A stylus is not needed with the Prime. In fact, its touchscreen works better with a fingertip than with a stylus.
-Joe-
mlui...@gmail.com
Jul 11, 2014, 6:52:28 PM7/11/14
to
Sorry Joe, HP Prime has FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) and inverse FFT and not classical Fourier Transform, it´s different. Casio Class Pad II has classical Fourier Transform and you can choose 5 differenty ways to use, Modern Physics, Pure Math, Probability, Classical Physycs and Signal Processing and you can work in natural style like you have learned in advanced calculus.
I didn´t write anything about use stylus pen on HP Prime, I was talking about Cassio Class Pad II and when I compared HP Prime and Cassio Class Pad, I was talking about the poor PC software. I don´t know why but you merged two different comments, probably you dindn´t pay attention when read the comments.
I didn´t write anything about use stylus pen on HP Prime, I was talking about Cassio Class Pad II and when I compared HP Prime and Cassio Class Pad, I was talking about the poor PC software. I don´t know why but you merged two different comments, probably you dindn´t pay attention when read the comments.
Joe Horn
Jul 12, 2014, 2:44:59 AM7/12/14
to
> Sorry Joe, HP Prime has FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) and inverse FFT and not
> classical Fourier Transform, it´s different.
Help me out here. Classical Fourier Transform? Do you mean Discrete Fourier Transform? If so, that's strange, since FFT is not a different kind of transform than DFT; FFT is nothing other than a class of fast algorithms for calculating a DFT. If the Casio ClassPad does not use an FFT for calculating Fourier transforms, what algorithm does it use? Thanks in advance for clearing up my confusion on this point.
> classical Fourier Transform, it´s different.
> I didn´t write anything about use stylus pen on HP Prime, I was talking about
> Cassio Class Pad II and when I compared HP Prime and Cassio Class Pad, I was
> talking about the poor PC software. I don´t know why but you merged two
> different comments, probably you dindn´t pay attention when read the comments.
> Another option is Casio Class Pad II ... There are some very organized menus,
> it's very easy to use and it's a new way to work, you have only a few keys
> and all you need are showed on display in a very easy way to understand and
> select with a small pen. As HP Prime, there is not a good PC software and
> it's not so simple to create docs, functions or programs and in my oppinion,
> it's too large to carry with you and particularly, I don't like to work with
> a pen like an old smartphone, it's become things a little slow, but of
> course, it's a time question.
I thought that "As HP Prime" meant "As for the HP Prime", which would make the rest of the sentence (including "I don't like to work with a pen") refer to the Prime. Thank you for clarifying that you did not intend that.
> and all you need are showed on display in a very easy way to understand and
> select with a small pen. As HP Prime, there is not a good PC software and
> it's not so simple to create docs, functions or programs and in my oppinion,
> it's too large to carry with you and particularly, I don't like to work with
> a pen like an old smartphone, it's become things a little slow, but of
> course, it's a time question.
-Joe-
supergems
Jul 12, 2014, 5:01:03 AM7/12/14
to
Il giorno sabato 12 luglio 2014 08:44:59 UTC+2, Joe Horn ha scritto:
> > Sorry Joe, HP Prime has FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) and inverse FFT and not
>
> > classical Fourier Transform, it´s different.
I think he means the continuous time Fourier transform --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourier_transform
> > Sorry Joe, HP Prime has FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) and inverse FFT and not
>
> > classical Fourier Transform, it´s different.
Simone
chenl...@gmail.com
Mar 31, 2015, 7:55:40 PM3/31/15
to
Han
Apr 9, 2015, 8:54:13 AM4/9/15
to
On Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 2:39:10 AM UTC-4, toro...@gmail.com wrote:
> i know that you wrote this a long time ago...but i have some comparison point talking about programing for you .....
> the Ti.nspire cx cas has only two oficial prgraming languages TI basic and Lua(wich is the most powerfull of the oficial ones because ti basic doesn let you plot)...but since hackers realized that there is a hole in its programing, now its posible to write code also in C,C++ and Assembly developmen thanks to Ndless SKD...
Ndless is not supported by TI. Moreover, ndless breaks every time TI releases a new firmware (in fact, TI has even released new firmware with the specific purpose of preventing ndless from working).
> i know that you wrote this a long time ago...but i have some comparison point talking about programing for you .....
> the Ti.nspire cx cas has only two oficial prgraming languages TI basic and Lua(wich is the most powerfull of the oficial ones because ti basic doesn let you plot)...but since hackers realized that there is a hole in its programing, now its posible to write code also in C,C++ and Assembly developmen thanks to Ndless SKD...
> in the other hand, the Prime has just one language...i dont remember the name, but is as powerfull as the Lua nspire language....another point is that has no reason to have a color display, because it cannot plot 3d functions, it can only plot 3d just if you wrote a program that let you plot an espeific functions. the videos where you see it ploting 3d are a scam, as you see here:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0I191piBtZ0
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uDn-aDlkuwM
http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-95.html
and video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqLWbh8ph_M
That 3D graphing app is written in HP PPL (the HP Prime Programming Language) which should give you an idea of the speed and power of the language.
supergems
Sep 3, 2015, 1:14:07 PM9/3/15
to
0 new messages