It looks like an underpowered copy of the HP Prime.
Why should I own one, because it is open source?
Why should I own one, because it is open source?
Out of the box, there are Python scripts for calculating factorials, generating visual representations of Mandelbrot fractals, and finding roots of polynomials. On the NumWorks workshop, there are dozens of user-contributed scripts that perform various interesting functions and calculations. They've built a great open-source community, and the speed of their team in responding to issues and pull requests on Github is impressive.
Secondly, as someone who had to use various TI calculators in school, trying to get TI Connect software to work was a huge pain. NumWorks lets you install software patches and transfer scripts directly from Chrome, with a one-time driver installation. Not having to deal with bloated and finnicky calculator connection software has been very enjoyable.
BTW, the Prime is $50 more expensive than this thing and doesn't have the exam mode -> illegal to use in exams in France, for ex.
I think that any advantage of being able to run python is moot considering that it has only 256KB of RAM.
And for high-schools, personally, I think something simpler and less expensive would be nicer.
And I also wish there would be a calculator more targeted at engineers.
For something smaller, there's the Swissmicros DM42. That one is definitely an engineers tool, but it's exclusively RPN. It's basically a super modern HP 42s with a huge, georgeous screen and a USB interface (and a modern ARM MCU). The software is based on the excellent Free42 project.
Everything can be done better and faster in a cas on a laptop.
Everything except actually typing in the problem. A good specialized keyboard and input method (RPN) will always beat QWERTY, especially one that doesn't even have a number pad.
Calculators are a relic from a bygone era, kept in use only by regulations and a captured market.
Uh, no. I often find myself picking up a calculator rather than opening up Mathematica to do a lot of calculations.
They are like mathematica, but don't suck.
Too bad. There's always https://www.swissmicros.com/
The TI graphing calculators exist solely to support the testing regime, which serves no pedagogic purpose.
Granted, I own a calculator -- $10 Casio solar -- but I grew up with one, and it's just easy to grab and use, especially in the workshop or lab. I also still have an analog watch. But there's no reason to impose my old habits on the young generation.
Often a CAS isn't even that useful anyway, they're still pretty shit for any sort of complicated symbolic calculations. As a simple example, even doing basic vector calculus in Mathematica is clunky and barely usable.
When it gets to Tensor Calculus though it’s literally back to the blackboard to cry tears of blood.
Edit: the same applies to tensors. Mathematica is actually pretty elegant for working with concrete tensors IMO, but kinda sucks for symbolic manipulation. Not that it's an easy problem to solve. It's like that with pretty much every CAS and I think it will be a while time before we have a good grip on how to do such things with a computer.