TI fan won over by HP!

I have been a die-hard TI fan since the early 1990's. I am a student and professional engineer and I decided to try the HP 50g because HPs are typically the engineer's tool of choice. After a couple of hours with the manual and a quick learning curve, HP has completely won me over with this calculator!

HP has hit a home run with user input and user friendliness with this one. You can use the standard textbook algebraic mode just like a TI. You also have the choice of RPN (reverse polish notation) which is definitely faster for a number of calculations. You also have a neat little "Equation Writer" mode there the display is interactive and you can type in an equation exactly as it appears in the textbook or on your paper. This mode is especially useful for calculus (integration and derivatives) and for partial differential equations. The solver also lets you evaluate the equation step by step and will even factor polynomials for you.

The calculus and differential equations capabilities are great. You can solve just about any type of problem either numerically or symbolically. The interface is also very intuitive.

The calculator has built in units where you can perform calculations with with any units and the calculator will automatically convert back to base SI units.

This calculator also has many different solver capabilities. You can solve simple algebraic equations, systems of linear equations and even systems of non-linear equations!

Step-by-step mode will show you intermediate steps to get the final answer. This is an excellent tool to use to double check your work and also as a learning tool.

There are many useful customization options from number format, to time and date, text size, and display information. The display is very easy to read and I really like the fact the the calculator modes are displayed without having to access any menus. You can always see if the calculator is in degree of radian mode.

Other nice features include an SD memory card slot for "unlimited" memory and a large library of constants and equations.

Connectivity is unmatched: USB, Serial, IR and SD card. The calculator includes a USB cable and software for syncing with your computer.

Overall, the interface is very efficient and user friendly. Moving from a TI calculator I went through the manual step by step and once you learn the layout a bit it is very easy to use. I would say it is different but every bit as user friendly as a TI calculator.