HP 40gs Graphing Calculator (F2225AA) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This calculator is exactly what I wanted and needed. I have owned top of the line graphing calculators from HP, Casio, Sharp, TI, etc., but overall I like this one the best due primarily to its simplicity and ease of use. I like it especially for trips and outside activities when I can do quite useful mathematical explorations that I don't normally have time for at home or in the office with my busy schedule. It was designed by HP and teachers, first and foremost however, as an aid in teaching University students mathematics in a very user-friendly manner.

PROS:

1) It is simple, fairly light and quite fast (75 MHz clock speed), algebraic equation operating system (EOS), but not with HP RPN, but a very useful and versatile unit. The hp 40gs is now about two years in production having replaced the 40G with a much better designed keyboard, etc. as described below.

2) Very well organized analysis activities using special Aplets with about a dozen available with the unit and many many more on the world wide web (or you can write your own since programming is also available on the 40gs). These specialized Aplets include analysis of functions, parametric equations, the famous HP solver system, statistics, etc. (with least squares curve fits available for about a dozen types, such as cubic, exponential, power law, logistic or even a user defined type, etc.!). The unit also has about 200 kb of available RAM and about 2 Mb of ROM for the operating system which is a lot more than even the hp 48gII for example.

3) It will supply three types of analysis for every problem, namely a numerical table of values, a graphic plot (only two-dimensional types however) and a symbolic analysis which is completely possible for even very complicated Calculus cases (polynomials and basic trig, logarithmic and hyperbolic functions and much much more, etc.). It also does numerical differential and integral Calculus as well and it can even supply a Taylor series approximation for all of your functions. It can also display a fine split-screen view (side by side) supplying a table of values as well a plot which is also very useful (with many useful zoom options).

4) It also handles very advanced mathematical functions (including hyperbolic functions, the Gamma function, Hermite and Legendre polynomials, etc.) and of course can be used to analyze complex numbers, lists and matrices and can even take the square root of negative numbers directly in a very straight forward manner (unlike the HP 35s)!

5) It also allows the user to make detailed notes and sketches and also interfaces very nicely with a PC using the USB cable supplied with the unit for exchanging information. It also has an RS-232 (serial) as well as an infrared transfer option available as well.

6) It comes with a well written and well organized and very detailed ~400 page users manual and with an even more advanced manual available on the supplied CD. Many example and quite useful solutions are presented in the manual.

7) It has a new Flash ROM so that the calculator can be electronically updated if new EOS software ROM's are produced by HP without changing out the hardware.

8) Date and time is always available with the on-board clock (using the DISPTIME command)

9) The unit has a totally redesigned keyboard that has quite an excellent feel to it (unlike the fiasco's connected with the HP 49g series for example and even better in my humble opinion than the revered HP 50g now in production for over two years too which I have also owned). The overall unit seems to be very well made and should last a very long time too. As always, the HP calculator special self tests are excellent and are triggered by simple keystroke commands. Also, Typing RULES or AMIGOS in "Home" produces two "HP easter eggs" of people who were involved in the design and production of this great system.

10) It has a completely scrollable operations history in HOME (unlimited within the available RAM memory and also easy to erase when extra memory is needed) that is very easy to manipulate by using the Copy command to recall previously evaluated expressions in order to perform quick "what-if" analysis, etc.

11) It is also very intuitive to operate in my opinion even without HP RPN. It is a great start to get university students interested in doing more math and science too which is a very good thing considering recent trends in North America.

12) Its CAS (Computer Algebra System) is fantastic and has all features available in the revered HP50g, but which are much more intuitive and easier to use.This package has many many very advanced functions which are extremely useful to scientists. Integral and differential calculus problems are extremely easy to perform with this machine. There are also standard commands to easily move results from the CAS to HOME and back again in order to perform different types of analysis capabilities (graphical and otherwise). In addition, it will also solve differential equations within the CAS.

13) Over a year ago now HP announced that it was partnering with another company in Oregon to make this and its sister machine the HP39gs available as a laboratory measurement system in schools (39GS) and universities (40GS). If this actually happens this calculator will really be quite an asset to all prospective science as well as engineering students.

14) It is available directly right now from MobilePlanet (or its parent company Expansys), at buy calculators on-line in the uk and at amazon in the uk, but hopefully it will be more generally available all over N. America soon.

CONS

1) The batteries only last 65 hours according to HP. I can't confirm this fact as of yet, but it uses 4 AAA batteries as well as a common Lithium battery to be used as a backup while changing the main batteries.

2) It is quite thick in comparison to other such calculators and in spite of the supplied high quality slide-on cover (a maximum total 1.22 inches thick with the cover on for protection), HP should have supplied a good case for further protection as has been its standard for many other of its calculators (including the HP 35s). Why just imitate the other manufacturers with a slide-on cover for its only protection? HP has always gone its own way in this field considering how few people really understand or actively use RPN logic every day (which I have previously always preferred for many years now). Most of us now have easily accessible computers and compilers to do most computing tasks. I usually use a calculator at work only to carefully check intricate computer calculations, but when I do I want it to be simple and easy to use, especially since I don't use it every day.

3) The statistical applet correlation coefficient provided is only for a linear curve fit (regardless of the fit assumed). The relative error is provided instead for both the linear curve fit as well as for any of the other curve fit options.

4) It only has a very limited number of conversion factors and embedded universal constants (29) available in its memory.

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Product Description:
Model# 2162466 - HWP-40GS (F2225AA#ABA) HP 40gs Graphing Calculator for Math - Science - Engineering , 600 Functions / Easy programming to create custom aplets using formulas and equations / Interactive history, notes and sketch capabilities / USB and ha

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