To anyone reading, I'd suggest a used TI-89 or Voyage 200 instead, 68000-based TI calcs.
They cost next to nothing used these days, and there's to my knowledge no better calculators out there.
It is old, but that means it is proven and well-understood.
That said, you can debate rechargeable batteries vs AAAs (both have pros and cons), but a backlit screen is a really good thing.
Documents (or being able to have/save separate "calculation sheets") are actually progress vs not having them.
The problem with the Nspire is that it just isn't slick like the m68k calcs were. Neither the documents implementation, nor anything else.
The impression I get from newer calculators is that some corporate decision maker decided that "cellphones are popular and we must copy them".
HP calculators also peaked on hp50g and went downhill after that.
>but a backlit screen is a really good thing.
If you need to use the calculator in a dark room, there's worse problems with your setup than lack of backlight in the calculator.
Yes, documents are good. But the Nspire architecture that wants you to create a document before choosing what to do in it and the weird tab idea is not great. As you say, a TI-89 is quick and efficient in comparison, which is why I still use it despite having got a Nspire. If I need to mess around before I can get something useful, I might as well start Mathematica.
> The impression I get from newer calculators is that some corporate decision maker decided that "cellphones are popular and we must copy them".
That is definitely a problem. They are not getting any more ergonomic.
> If you need to use the calculator in a dark room, there's worse problems with your setup than lack of backlight in the calculator.
My eyesight is not perfect and anything that helps readability is an improvement. Sometimes I have to work in the evenings as well.
How are these obvious red flags? I have a TI-Nspire that has both and I love that thing.
Lithium battery has a life cycle of around 1000-2000 charges, and may deteriorate even faster when exposed to high temperatures. Depending on the capacity though, you can expect a cycle to last more for a calculator compared to, for example, a smartphone, so it might not be that much of a problem (but then again you have the backlight, a major drain). When the battery dies, you can't simply go to a nearby store to get a replacement. You usually have to send the device back to the manufacturer to get it replaced.
Why? I'd prefer those.
2. This can evaluate this correctly on the (slightly later) HP-49G+
So given this new information, will you change your mind or try to find some other silly example?
"arithmetic also includes more advanced operations, such as [...] exponentiation, logarithmic functions, and even trigonometric functions, in the same vein as logarithms (prosthaphaeresis)."
When using hp50g, I find its input<>reaction latency makes me want to throw it at a wall. I used to tolerate it and rely on the input buffer, but that simply isn't good UX. I'm glad I grabbed a used TI-89 at some point.
Still keeping the hp50g for nostalgia reasons. Is what I used back at university; We went a long way together.