Is HP getting serious about calculators?
in [HP48]
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From: Veli-Pekka Nousiainen on 9 Oct 2006 03:44 John H Meyers wrote: > On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 04:42:38 -0500: > >> But in legends, anything is possible. > > And JYA is legendary :) Surely he is... Once I describe the next HP having the IrDA and called it "Cyclops" The 49g+ and 50G has the IrDA AND to my opnion James Marsden is not as handosme or "cool" as Gherkin whome I rename to "Cyclops" Good guessing when I called Cyrille "Wolverine" - he liked it! Cyrille's favourites included that X-man Bernard Parisse is Professor-X The Finn in the Group is Iceman (that's also cool...) Those were the days when ACO worked on a new machine BUT that all was in the past millenia... a long time ago in a galaxy very very near - here
From: JB on 9 Oct 2006 06:59 > brad.barton(a)ccrtcblue.com wrote: As many here have pointed out, the > demand for high-end calculators is nothing like it was 25 years ago. > I'ts questionable whether HP would even recover the development costs > of the new software that would be required to truly advance their > calculator line. Actually every new engineering student buys a high-end calculator, so what is the evidence that the demand for high-end calculators is nothing like it was 25 years ago? Perhaps the demand for HP calculators is nothing like it was 25 years ago but that doesn't mean that the market demand is nothing like it was 25 years ago. What is the market demand in units per month today and what was it 25 years ago? And what is the developement cost for a next generation calculator? And how many units have to be sold at what price to make back that investment? And how long will that take? Without those numbers, one cannot say that "I'ts questionable whether HP would even recover the development costs of the new software that would be required to truly advance their calculator line." It is not questionable however that a company will lose market share and eventually be forced out of a market if they don't compete with new and innovative products. I think the real issue at this time is what will the Inspire product turn out to be? Will it essentially be the 89/v200 line with some minor changes or a truly next generation calculator? If it is a warmed over 89, then the 50g will likely be competitive for some years to come because the competitive nature of the market place hasn't been changed. On the other hand, if the Inspire is a next generation calculator with new and desirable features that customers want, it can obsolete the present generation of calculators, in which case other manufacturers then have to scramble and make the investment to stay competitive or decide to simply sell what they have until the volume falls to the point where it is no longer profitable and then quit that business.
From: Tim Bradshaw on 9 Oct 2006 07:34 On 2006-10-09 11:59:47 +0100, "JB" <wjbudd(a)yahoo.com> said: > Actually every new engineering student buys a high-end calculator, so > what is the evidence that the demand for high-end calculators is > nothing like it was 25 years ago? Perhaps the demand for HP > calculators is nothing like it was 25 years ago but that doesn't mean > that the market demand is nothing like it was 25 years ago. Do they, actually? I don't think I would. And how many people do an engineering/hard science subject compared to 25 years ago? I dunno about the US but in the UK there is a serious problem with hard sciences - physics departments are being closed, which I find amazing and disturbing. --tim
From: brad.barton on 9 Oct 2006 08:27 JB wrote: > > brad.barton(a)ccrtcblue.com wrote: > As many here have pointed out, the > > demand for high-end calculators is nothing like it was 25 years ago. > > I'ts questionable whether HP would even recover the development costs > > of the new software that would be required to truly advance their > > calculator line. > > Actually every new engineering student buys a high-end calculator, so > what is the evidence that the demand for high-end calculators is... Please don't attribute statements to me that I didn't make. >8( Lot's of conjecture here, but no hard evidence, which is pretty much what I expected. Despite the braod hints over on MoHP, we'll just have to wait. <sigh> Still, it's hard to be pessimistic given the changes at HP, and the quick response to the HP49G+ problems almost as soon as C. Fiona was shown the door. I'm hoping for good things.
From: Steen Schmidt on 9 Oct 2006 14:02
Tim Bradshaw wrote: > > Actually every new engineering student buys a high-end calculator, > > Do they, actually? I don't think I would. They do in Denmark at least. Cheers, Steen |