In Calculator Arms Race, Casio Fires Back: Color Touchscreen ClassPad 170
KermMartian writes "In what seems to be an accelerating arms race for graphing calculator supremacy between Texas Instruments and Casio, the underdog Casio has fired a return salvo to the recently-announced TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition. The new ClassPad fx-CP400 has a massive color touchscreen and a Matlab-esque CAS. Though not accepted on the SAT/ACT, will such a powerful device gain a strong following among engineers and professionals?"
MATLAB (Score:3, Insightful)
Just stop playing around and get the real MATLAB on there.
The only thing that will make me switch from my HP-48.
No, it won't gain a strong following. (Score:5, Insightful)
Why does one need a graphing calculator?
a) because it's actually required in an exam (didn't happen to me in my life).
b) because it makes life easier during an exam.
There's no math field work, where you need immediate mobility anymore. There's no need for a graphing calculator, which must not be used during exams.
No. (Score:5, Insightful)
What do these devices have that couldn't be implemented as an app on a general purpose smartphone or tablet?
Re:No, it won't gain a strong following. (Score:3, Insightful)
This!
People only use these things for examinations. Nobody that I know uses these to do Real Work® . If you are in the field, you use a laptop with Matlab and/or Mathematica, and for surprise stuff, there are very good apps you can carry in your phone.
Its like 2 steam car manufacturers... (Score:5, Insightful)
...trying to outcompete each other without noticing that a 3rd party has created internal combustion engine.
Re:No. (Score:4, Insightful)
Do 1 year with a battery.
Re:Massive? (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't get the point of color screen calculators (Score:5, Insightful)
The thing that defines a calculator useful, imho, is that you don't really need to care about its battery life and it starts up fast.
If you want something with a color touch screen, can't you just install a calculator app on your phone? What's the difference? Why do you need a specialized device for that?