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A lot of HP17bII+

 

17bii_1bigWe have received a new lot of HP 17bII+ calculators. They are now priced at a competitive 77,90€

It is true that the sexiest financial calculator is the HP12c, but the HP17bII+ is soo much more powerful.

From the beginning: it is extremely solid. The whole back part is on hard plastic - the beautiful metal front is protected by the raised sides. Keys are big and wide, and click very well. As the machine is menu-driven, the keyboard is not as cluttered as the HP12c or some scientifica calculators'.

It comes with a protective pouch. It is build in the same way as the HP35s, but it is not as big as its scientific sibling.

The screen is two lines but one of them is reserved for the menu hotkeys. This hotkeys can be programmed through the solver application - which is a programming system in itself - and an easy one, at theat.

The menus make it a lot easier to remember how to do things. While with the HP12c you achieve things with less strokes, the HP17bII+ allows you to be able to recall most of the components of the calculation for later use.

When it comes to statistics there is no comparison between both. With the HP12c, with each data pair entry you are feeding the 5 counters (n, x sum, x2 sum, y sum, y2 sum and xy product) but the information as such is not kept. With the HP17bII+ the data is kept in a list that you can save, edit and retrieve for another moment.

Cashflows for DCF calculations are kept in both - but the HP17bII+ makes it much easier to edit them. You can also choose between individual cashflows or grouped cashflows.

The real strong point of this calculator is the solver. You can write any formula algebraically and the system will keep all the variables in the hotkeys, allowing you to solve for any of them. As you can store a lot of formulae, you can really configure the machine for your own uses. Typical formulae include Black and Scholes, trigonometric functions, break even analysis, etc.

There are a lot of scientific functions too - all except trigonometric (but think - when was the last time you used them?)

Some of you ask me several times what are the differences between HP17bII+ and the original HP17BII. Here there are:

  • The new model is a new calculator built on a different processor with different firmware. The old was based on the Saturn processor - the same as the HP71B. The new is based on the 6502.
  • There is a new menu for currency comparisons. It is very useful - provided that there are not huge rate changes.
  • The memory is at least 3 times bigger than the original - useful if you really use the solver and store a lot of formulas.
  • Some very ultra-rare programming solver functions do not work in the new model.
  • The screen contrast and quality is at a completely different level - much better in the new one.
  • Keys are equally nice to use but the newer machine's are bigger.
  • Cosmetically there is the old brown HP colour in the original machine, vs the classy metallic surface of the new.
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